


Someday

by Shelly00



Category: Transformers: Prime, Transformers: Rescue Bots
Genre: Difficult Pregnancy, F/M, Infertility, difficult birth
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-24
Updated: 2015-10-24
Packaged: 2018-04-27 20:25:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 19
Words: 33,681
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5062864
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shelly00/pseuds/Shelly00
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Overindulging in high grade leads to decisions that impact the future of their species.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. High Grade

The sound of giggles outside the door to his quarters confused Optimus Prime - he thought the children had gone home hours ago.  At the soft knock, and more giggles, he got up and answered the door.  He was surprised to see his second in command standing there, giggling.  “Hello, Arcee” he said, as his sensors registered a considerable amount of high-grade in the air.

 “Hi Optimus” she practically purred, as she sauntered into the room, lightly running her fingertips over his lower arms.  She giggled again as she walked around him, while he could do nothing more than stare at her in shock.  He wondered where had she gotten high-grade, and why she had overindulged.

 “Let me take you to Ratchet” he said, as she continued to stroke his arms. He tried to convince himself that she wasn’t having an effect on him, but he had to admit he was enjoying her touch.  He couldn’t allow this though. 

“Been there, done that” she said with a pout on her face.  “He told me to go to my quarters and sleep.”  She was so cute with that look on her face.  His own emotions were getting harder to control.  He needed to put a stop to this, before they both did something they would regret.

“These are not your quarters, Arcee.”

“I know.  I wanted to see yours.”

“Why?”

“Because you’re here.”  Suddenly, she jumped at him, wrapping her arms around his neck, and pressing her lips to his.  He caught her instinctively, losing his balance and stumbling backwards until he was sitting on his bed with her in his lap.  He groaned and kissed her back for several moments before his processor caught up with his actions; he stopped and pulled away.

He couldn’t think with her hands stroking his head and shoulders.  He caught them with his and looked into her optics.  “Arcee, we can’t do this.”  The disappointment in her eyes was spark-breaking.

“I know.” she whispered.  She laid her head on his chest where she could hear his spark pulsing.  He still held her close, forcing his own emotions and physical reactions back under control.  When he looked at her again, her optics were closed; she was sleeping.

He savored holding her for a few more minutes before picking her up and carrying her back to her quarters.  He laid her in her own bed and pressed a kiss to her forehead.  He whispered “someday, I promise” into her audio receptors, then retreated back to his own quarters. 


	2. High Grade - again

Arcee awoke with an aching head. She saw the pain remedy on her bedside table and was grateful that someone, probably Ratchet, had put it there. She had only vague memories of the previous night. She had been so depressed recently, thinking about her lost partners. She had finally broken out some of the high-grade she had found in Cliffjumper's quarters after he died. This was not the ideal way to deal with her problems, she knew, but it was better than any other alternative she could think of. She took the meds then headed to get Jack and bring him to school. She couldn't shake the sadness she was feeling.

* * *

Optimus noted the dull look in Arcee's optics as she left with Bulkhead and Bumblebee to bring the children to school. She wouldn't be returning until the afternoon, as it was her turn to keep watch at the school. He debated changing the assignments so he could speak with her, but decided that he would just let it go, as long as it didn't happen again. He couldn't begrudge her the chance to de-stress if she felt like she needed it.

* * *

As Arcee sat outside of Jasper High School, she tried to remember what she had done the previous night. She remembered the high grade, of course. She remembered Ratchet finding her in the command center, walking circles around the autobot insignia on the floor and singing a silly song. After that, things were hazy. He sent her to her room, she knew. But had she gone straight there? Why did she remember seeing Optimus last night? Actually, she remembered kissing him! She must have dreamed it, after she got to her room. That was the only sane explanation. She wouldn't have actually gone to Optimus and kissed him, right? Unless he brought it up, she would never know,because she certainly wasn't about to ask him!

* * *

Optimus intended to spend the evening in his quarters working, but exhaustion got the better of him and he laid down to sleep. He didn't hear the drunken giggles at his door this time, but the knocking woke him enough to call "come in".

In his half-dreaming state, he didn't realize that Arcee had entered his room. He didn't realize that she had crawled into his bed with him. He thought he was having a very pleasant dream as he pulled her against his side and she snuggled into him, using his arm as a pillow

Arcee didn't have a particular plan as she entered his quarters. She was drunk, and she just knew she needed to see him. She wasn't expecting him to already be sleeping, but in her current state, curling up next to him seemed like a good idea. This was where she wanted to be - in his arms, in his bed. Without her usual filters to tell her that this was a bad idea, she acted on impulse.

* * *

Optimus woke up thinking how odd, yet nice, it was to dream of simply holding Arcee in his arms while they both slept. His dreams the previous night, after she had kissed him, and been much less . . . innocent. As his systems onlined he realized with a start that he could still feel her in his arms. He opened his optics and was immediately shocked to see that she was actually sleeping in his arms. He didn't dare move as he frantically searched through his files from the previous night, finding the time when someone knocked on his door, and he called them in. That had to be it - she must have come in then. But the question remained - what now? He had yet to figure it out when she started to wake up.

Arcee woke with another headache. That's it, never again, she thought, the high-grade is not worth the headache the next day. As her systems onlined, she realized she was sleeping next to something large and warm. And alive. She opened her optics and looked directly into Optimus' optics. "Scrap."

She was off the bed and out the door before he could say a word.


	3. A Talk

Arcee did not return to the base after she dropped Jack off at school. She needed to get away and think, and the dry desert roads around the base were the perfect place for the speed she wanted to go.

She thought back over what she could remember from the previous night. She had intended to stay in her quarters. She didn't remember leaving. She dreamed a wonderful dream about sleeping in Optimus' arms - but apparently it hadn't been a dream! How she ended up in his room was anyone's guess. She mentally reiterated her decision this morning - no more high grade, no matter how depressed she was. Maybe Ratchet could use it in his synthetic energon project.

She'd been gone for several hours when her comm crackled to life. "Arcee, come in" said Optimus' voice. She cursed silently. She did not want to talk to him right now, but she was a soldier first and had to answer. She took too long gathering her nerves though, because he spoke again. "Arcee, we need to talk. You can't avoid me forever."

"I know, Optimus. Meet me here." She sent a set of coordinates where she knew they would be uninterrupted. She veered off the road and headed to the place she had sent him, closing the channel without waiting for a response.

* * *

She reached the location and stood next to the small lake. There were trees in this valley, and some indigenous wildlife, but humans rarely came here. The offroading required to get here would have been too much for the human-built version of Optimus' alt form to handle.

He was remarkably quiet for his size . He had nearly reached her when she finally heard him. He knelt beside her, to be closer to her height, but she refused to look at him. He watched the water with her for awhile, before he finally spoke.

"Arcee, please tell me what is troubling you."

She didn't intend to look at him, but she was surprised. "I...I thought you wanted to talk about what happened this morning."

"I do. But first, I want to know why you chose to overindulge in high-grade. Twice. You've never done that before."

"I won't do it again either. Not worth the headache." She paused. "Wait, twice? How do you know about….that wasn't a dream either?" Had she really kissed him two nights ago? She turned away, refusing to look at him.

"If you won't tell me what's bothering you, then maybe you can explain why you kissed me, and why you were in my bed this morning?" He gently lifted her chin with his fingers, forcing her to look into his optics. To her surprise, he was slightly smiling, and there was something unidentifiable in his optics.

His smile disappeared when she started crying, but it seemed perfectly natural to him to pull her into a hug. She wrapped her arms around him and cried out all of her tears onto his chest. He held her close and resisted the urge to place a soft kiss on her head. "Arcee, please, what's wrong? Let me help you."

"I'm just sad. Depressed. Nothing seems to be going our way lately. I remembered that I had the rest of Cliff's high-grade and thought it might help me forget for a little while. And it did, but it's not worth the consequences. I'm going to give the rest to Ratchet." She didn't let go of him.

"That's probably wise" he said, not letting go either. "Anytime you want to talk, Arcee, you can come to me. About anything." Then he smiled again. "Now, about those consequences…"

She didn't see his smile from her place against his chest, so she didn't realize that he was only jokingly asking her a question. "The headache alone isn't worth it. But not clearly remembering what I've done is pretty bad too. I remember kissing you, but I thought I was dreaming. I don't remember getting into your bed, I just remember being there. But again, I thought I was dreaming."

"Why do you go to my quarters in your dreams, Arcee?"

She pulled away from him finally, and he reluctantly let her go. She turned back to look out at the lake. "There are some things you're better off not knowing, Optimus. It would just make things more difficult, for both of us."

He studied her face as she looked out over the water. He longed to kiss her again, but he resisted. His arms felt empty, and his spark ached for her. "Arcee, you really can tell me anything."

She turned back to look at him. "Anything, really? What if I told you that I dream about you every night? About spending the rest of my life by your side and in your arms? That I want nothing less than to spend forever with you? What if I told you that I love you?" Her voice had gotten louder and louder, she realized. She had practically shouted the last sentence. She turned away. "I'm sorry. I should go…"

He stopped her from leaving with a hand on her arm. His brain was still reeling from her words as he pulled her close. He leaned down so that their foreheads were touching, and realized that there was only one response he could give her. "What if I told you," he whispered, " that I love you too?" He noted the shock in her optics a split second before he kissed her. She immediately wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him back. It was soft and sweet, full of promise and love.

An alarm went off, signaling that it was time for her to leave to pick Jack up from school, and they broke apart. They were both smiling now. "Join me in my quarters tonight. We need to talk further, and though this place is beautiful, we'll be more comfortable there."

"Ok. I'll see you back at base." She kissed him again briefly, before transforming and driving away. He stared after her, happier than he had been in a very long time.

 


	4. A Proposal

Optimus would have been pacing in his quarters, if he had the space. Feeling nervous was new to him. Of course, inviting the love of his life to his quarters was new as well. He wondered if he should kiss her when she walked in. Invite her to sit down - where? On his bed? At least it wouldn't be the first time she had been there. He only had a desk with a single chair and a bed in his quarters - he wasn't exactly set up for guests.

Arcee raised her hand to knock 3 times before she actually did. Now that she was here, she wasn't certain what to do. The high-grade had certainly made approaching Optimus easier. She didn't have any idea what she should do once she went inside. As much as she wanted to kiss him again, she wasn't about to jump into his arms and knock him down, as she was pretty certain she had before. She gathered her courage and knocked.

Even though he was expecting her, the soft knock on his door startled Optimus. This was it, she was here. He answered the door himself, instead of letting the automatic systems open it. She looked up at him, and he could see that she was nervous too. He smiled. "Come in, Arcee."

She smiled too as she walked in. Her nerves melted away as she saw that he was feeling the same. "Hello, Optimus."

They stared at each other awkwardly for a few moments, then she hugged him. The awkwardness broken, he hugged her back, then sat them both down on his bed, her in his lap. She looked up into his optics, smiled, and pressed her lips to his in a gentle kiss.

He groaned when she pulled away. Having her in his arms, and kissing her, was causing reactions throughout his body that he was finding it difficult to control. He closed his optics for a moment forcing his emotions back into check and locking down his physical response to her.

She stopped herself from attempting to push him backwards onto his bed. He was much stronger than her, but she suspected he would have gone along with it anyway. He had said they needed to talk more though, so she kept her feelings under control, but she didn't stop touching him.

"What did you want to talk about, Optimus?" she asked, after they both got themselves under control.

"Us" he said simply, as he moved to sit more comfortably, where she could be beside him instead of in his lap. She wasn't letting go that easily though - she snuggled into his side and wrapped his arm around her waist. "I've loved you for nearly as long as I've known you, but tradition says that as Prime, I can't show or act on my feelings," he began.

"Tradition?" she interrupted him. "Not law?" His revelation surprised her, but that part surprised her more.

"Tradition," he replied. "Do you know why that tradition started?"

"I'm always assumed it was a law, put in place by the council, to keep a leader from valuing one life over another." She was absently running her fingertips up and down his wrist and hand.

"The council had nothing to do with it. It also no longer exists, so their rules would be invalid anyway. That reason is what was widely believed, but the tradition began well before the council was even established, after the death of one of the original 13 primes at the hand of her lover." He did his best to ignore the feelings she was igniting with just her fingertips, but found it increasingly harder. His own fingers stroked her upper arm.

She stopped her fingers and looked up at him. "That's so sad."

"Yes, it was. But if it hadn't happened, new life would never have begun on Cybertron, so in the end, it was necessary." He looked down at her and smiled. "I didn't bring it up to sadden you though, or to give a history lesson. I want to be sure that you're ok with breaking that tradition. In the entire history of our species, Primes have not taken sparkmates and haven't raised families. When I was chosen as Prime, I didn't think that would be a problem. I didn't realize it was until I met you."

She turned to look at him, taking both of his hands in hers and gazing straight into his optics.

"Would you really want that, with me?" It was everything she wanted, but she couldn't believe she would be lucky enough to get it.

"Arcee, I've loved you for nearly as long as I've known you. I didn't think you felt the same, and that tradition has kept me from finding out for certain, until you kissed me two nights ago.. I would do anything, including breaking an ancient tradition, to bond with you, to raise a family with you, to spend forever with you." He closed his optics for a moment, then looked back into hers. "Arcee, will you be my sparkmate?"

She still couldn't believe this was really happening, but she had only one answer to his question. "Yes," she said, just before she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him, pushing him backwards onto the bed.

* * *

Much later, as she snuggled into his arms, just before they drifted off to sleep, she said "Optimus, remember when I said the high-grade wasn't worth the consequences?"

"Yes."

"I was wrong. It was worth this." She held him tighter. "Goodnight Optimus. I love you."

"Goodnight, Arcee. I love you too."

 


	5. A Vision

"My daughter"

"Where am I?"

"Your body is asleep, in your quarters beside your mate."

"And my mind?"

"We are in a representation of my temple."

"Who are you?"

"I am Solus Prime."

"You are not my mother."

"All femmes are my daughters. All of our species are my children."

"What do you want from me?"

"You are bonded to the last Prime."

"Yes"

"You must bear his child"

"We want a family, but we're fighting a war, and it doesn't seem to be ending anytime soon. We can't bring a sparkling into a war. It would be irresponsible."

"The war will not end until your child brings peace."

* * *

Arcee awoke from the strange dream she had had for the third time in as many nights. She carefully removed Optimus' arm from her waist and quietly crept out of the bed. She sat at the data terminal in the room, determined to find some context for her dream. As far as she knew, she had never visited the temple of Solus Prime, so she started by looking for pictures of it.

By the time Optimus woke up and realized she was gone, Arcee had pictures pulled up on every monitor on the desk, and multiple data pads in front of her. Everything in the database about Solus Prime was there. The pictures of her temple looked just like the one in her dream. She was deep in thought when he walked up behind her.

"You know, when you are bonded to an archivist, you can ask for help when beginning a research project."

Arcee nearly jumped out of her armor, she was so startled. "I didn't want to wake you up."

"It looks like you've been up for awhile," he said as he examined the data in front of her. "Why are you suddenly interested in Solus Prime?"

Arcee wasn't entirely sure what to tell him. It seemed kind of silly, to do all this research because of a dream. She knew he wouldn't judge her, but she wasn't certain what he would think about the contents of her dream. "I keep seeing her in a dream. I wanted to see if the temple in my dream looks like the real one."

"And?"

"And it does. Exactly. But I never visited her real temple."

Optimus could tell she was hiding something. He spun her chair around to look into her optics. "Arcee, whatever you're not telling me is really bothering you. Please, tell me what it is."

Arcee blinked slowly. She could feel his curiosity through the bond they shared, as well as his desire to help her with whatever the problem was. She looked back into his optics. "In my dream, she says that we need to have a child. I explain that we decided it would be irresponsible during a war, and she says that our child will bring peace."

"Arcee-"

"I know. And yes, I know that my desire to have a family with you could be causing this dream. That's what I thought it was, until I saw these pictures. Now, I don't know what to think."

"I think you need to come back to bed. Rest, and we'll discuss your vision in the morning."

Just before she fell back to sleep, Arcee realized that he had called her dream a vision.


	6. A Decision

"What do you think it means, Optimus?" asked Arcee in the early hours of the next morning, as they laid in each other's arms. They both enjoyed this time together, when they were awake but not yet needed elsewhere on the base.

"I've had many visions in my lifetime," he said as he enjoyed holding her close. "Most of them have been granted to me by the Matrix of Leadership, and all of them have come to pass."

"Why do you think this was a vision? Doesn't it seem more likely that it's just a dream? It's telling me to do exactly what I want most of all."

"Only you can determine if it was a dream brought about by your desires, or a vision granted to you by an ancient Prime."

"How am I supposed to figure that out?"

"You've already started that process, by learning all that you can about Solus Prime. Another clue will be whether it changes now that you have more information. Visions will not change. Dreams can."

"What will we do if we decide it's really a vision?"

"We will have to revisit our discussion about starting a family, with the new knowledge from your vision, if it is indeed a vision."

She turned in his arms to look directly into his optics, and smiled suggestively at him. "That's a conversation for later though. For right now, I have a better idea." She pulled his head down and kissed him deeply, running her hands lightly over his chest.

As Arcee kissed him, Optimus could tell she wanted the closeness of a spark merge, rather than the pleasure of an interface. He was always happy to give her whatever kind of intimacy she desired. She did the same for him.

They had agreed, before they bonded permanently, that they would wait until the war was over to start a family. They risked creating a sparkling only once, when they created their permanent bond by interfacing and merging sparks at the same time. After that, they did one or the other. Their bond allowed them to know what they each desired, and they had strengthened it greatly in the short time they had been bonded.

The merge was intense, a reflection of Arcee's current feelings of confusion, and afterwards they rested for awhile longer before getting up to start the day. Optimus thought about what she had told him, and what he could feel from her through their bond. The only thing he wanted as much as a family with Arcee was an end to the war. That having one could bring about the other seemed too good to be true.

He felt that what she had described was a vision, perhaps granted to her because of her bond with him. But she needed to come to that conclusion on her own - he couldn't just tell her that it was.

He knew how much she wanted sparklings. When she encountered human women, during her trips into Jasper, who were expecting children or had newborn sparklings - infants - he could feel her desire for one of their own. Those were the days when she most needed to merge with him. He hated feeling like he was denying her something he had the ability to give her, but they had agreed to wait after discussing reasons both for and against. It seemed they might be revisiting that discussion soon, and he was certain that if they did, the outcome would be different this time.

An alarm sounded, and they got up to begin their day. Arcee gave him one last kiss before leaving to bring Jack to school. The day was uneventful, for which she was glad. She was anxious to get back to sleep, to see if she had the dream again, and if it had changed.

* * *

"My daughter"

"Where am I?"

"Your body is asleep, in your quarters beside your mate."

"And my mind?"

"We are in a representation of my temple."

"Who are you?"

"I am Solus Prime."

"You are not my mother."

"All femmes are my daughters. All of our species are my children."

"What do you want from me?"

"You are bonded to the last Prime."

"Yes"

"You must bear his child"

"We want a family, but we're fighting a war, and it doesn't seem to be ending anytime soon. We can't bring a sparkling into a war. It would be irresponsible."

"The war will not end until your child brings peace."

Arcee awoke from her dream again, still not completely convinced that it was actually a vision, but leaning much more in that direction. It was exactly the same as before, down to every detail. She had tried to ask different questions, but she wasn't able to say anything other than what had been said before. She checked the time, then laid back down in Optimus' arms.

And the dream, or vision, repeated itself again.

Arcee hated to wake Optimus - he got little enough sleep as it was. She didn't want to go back to sleep herself though. She settled back into his arms - her favorite place to be, even if she wasn't sleeping - and thought about what she had seen. She still wasn't convinced that it was a vision, not just a dream, but she was leaning toward vision.

Arcee wanted a sparkling, desperately. She had always wanted a family, but she had accepted that it wasn't likely to happen due to the war. Now she had a bonded mate, who also wanted a family, and they still couldn't start one because of the war. She avoided humans as much as she could when she went into Jasper to bring Jack to school and pick him up, but it wasn't possible to avoid them completely. Humans were so cute when they were sparked - pregnant was their term. Their abdomens swelled to hold the sparkling - infant - and there was rarely a doubt that they were expecting. The tiny newborn sparkling humans were cute too. She hadn't really noticed them before, but since bonding with Optimus, she had seen sparked humans and sparkling humans everywhere. She tried not to let him know how sad it made her to see random human women getting everything she wanted, but she knew he could sense it in their bond. She could only hope she had hidden just how jealous she actually was.

She checked the time again. Close enough. "Optimus?" she said as she rubbed his arm.

"mmmmmm"

"Optimus, wake up please."

He pulled her tighter against his body.

"Come on Optimus, wake up. We need to talk."

He opened one optic, halfway, and peered at her. "Is it time to get up already?"

She smiled at him. He was almost as cute as a human sparkling, trying to stay asleep like that. "Not quite, but I want to talk to you. I had that dream...vision...whatever it is, again. Twice."

That was enough to wake him up. "Have you decided what it is?"

"No. I want it to be true, and that makes me afraid to think that it is."

He was silent, sensing her need to talk it out.

"I mean, if it's just a dream, and we decide it's a vision and have a sparkling, then we have to protect it. And we have to ask our team - our family - to protect it as well. And I'm sure they will love it, and they will gladly protect it, but it's not really fair to them to ask them to. And being your sparkling, it will be in constant danger." She paused a moment and looked around the room. "It will have to grow up here, confined to this base for most of it's life. What kind of existence is that for a child?"

"There are other places on this planet that are safe," he said when she paused, seemingly waiting for an answer. He wasn't certain that she heard him though.

"And if it's a vision, and our child is destined to end this war, it will still have to be protected until whatever that time is. It will still have to grow up confined to this base. It will still be in constant danger."

"Arcee, if we choose to have a child, whatever that child's destiny may be, everyone on this base will love and protect it. They would not think that it's wrong of us to ask them to. They would do it because they are our family."

"I know, but-"

"And there are other places on this planet that are safe. The islands where I placed that rescue team that landed here a few years ago are shielded. We can find other places to install shielding. While much of it's time will have to be spent here, our child would still grow up happy."

"You sound like you're trying to convince me that we should go for it."

He paused to think for a moment. "Maybe I am. Maybe I'm trying to convince myself. I want a child as much as you do, whether it's destined to bring peace, or it just brings us joy. It is a difficult decision though, to bring a child into a war."

"Optimus?"

"Yes?"

She turned around to look directly into his optics. "I want to have your sparkling."

"Even with all those reasons not to?"

"Yes."

"Well, then, let's create one."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I made up a bunch of this in order to make the story work the way I want it to.


	7. Depression

"How many times is it supposed to take?"

"It varies for everyone, Arcee. It hasn't been that long since-"

"It's been 3 months! Almost every day for 3 months! And still no sparkling." Arcee didn't know if she wanted to beat something to pieces, or sob uncontrollably. She had thought that they would decide to have a child, and then she would be sparked. Maybe not the first time they tried, but certainly by the 2nd or 3rd or 4th. She had lost track now of how many times they had tried and failed.

Optimus took both of her hands in his and looked into her optics. "Arcee, it is going to be ok." He pulled her into a tight hug and felt her relax against his chest.

"How do you know?"

"I choose to believe it."

"I wish I could do that."

* * *

Optimus found Arcee sobbing on their bed, as she was most of the time when she wasn't on duty these days. He was glad that she seemed to be able to block what she was feeling while they were on missions and in battle. She let it all out when she was alone or with him. He tried not to let her be alone.

The last 6 months had taken a toll on both of them, but especially her. He knew she blamed herself. He didn't know what he could do other than assure her that he didn't blame her, and it wasn't her fault.

He laid beside her on their bed, pulling her into his arms. "I'm so sorry, Optimus. I don't know what's wrong with me," she sobbed against his chest.

"Nothing is wrong with you, Arcee. It will happen when the time is right." He held her tightly as she cried, as he had so many times over the past several months.

"You keep saying that. But why would the vision have started when it did, if it wasn't meant to happen yet?"

"I have learned not to question the wisdom of the ancient Primes," he said as he gently rubbed her back. "They know far more than we ever will. Perhaps they knew it would take awhile, and wanted us to start trying when we did."

"Couldn't they have just made it not take awhile?"

"That, I do not know."

* * *

Arcee relaxed against the wall in Jack's garage, searching the human internet on the subject of reproduction. It had been 9 months since she and Optimus started this process - long enough for a human sparkling to be created. She had already read everything in the Cybertronian database, several times over. She was hoping to find some sort of inspiration from the humans. She stumbled across forums for human women who were having difficulty creating human sparklings. They used all kinds of words that she had to look up the definitions for, but the things she clung to were the words of encouragement they offered each other.

She quickly transformed to motorcycle mode when the garage door opened, then back to bipedal form as soon as the door closed behind June's car.

June could see the sadness on Arcee's face as she exited her car. She knew some of what was going on from Jack, but she hadn't really spoken with his guardian about anything other than him, ever. Arcee was having female problems though, and she spent all of her time surrounded by males, and Miko. Maybe she needed to talk to someone of her own gender.

She walked over to the wall and laid a hand on her knee. "Arcee, I know I don't understand a lot of things, but if you want to talk, I'm here, and I'll listen."

"Thanks June. I'm not sure that there's anything I can really say. It just….sucks."

"I can't claim to understand - Jack wasn't exactly planned - but I've had friends go through what you're going through. They've said that the most important thing is not to lose hope. To know that someday, somehow, you'll get your baby."

"There is no other way for me though. Either Optimus and I create it, or it doesn't exist. There are no other femmes on this planet. I don't know if there are any more out there, anywhere."

"Have you talked to Ratchet?" June knew that human couples usually talked to a doctor after six months to a year. "I know that your biology is different, but in humans, there's sometimes a medical explanation."

"I haven't found anything in the databases or the medical texts I've read about that, but I guess it can't hurt to ask him."

"If there's anything I can do, Arcee….."

"Thanks, June."

* * *

Arcee sat on the roof of the base, staring at the sunset. A year ago, she thought she would be holding a sparkling by now. Instead her arms, and her chest, were empty. The others had stopped asking her questions - she suspected on Optimus' orders. She didn't like that he felt he needed to interfere between her and the rest of their team, but she couldn't help but be glad not to have to answer awkward questions any longer.

She no longer cried; she felt like she had run out of tears. She felt like a failure. Her vision hadn't changed. It still happened every night. At first it had driven her crazy, now it just contributed to her depression. How could her child end the war if she couldn't create a child?

The sun was down now, and Optimus would be looking for her soon. She could feel his concern through their bond. She loved him with all her spark, and there was still pleasure in trying to create a sparkling with him, but sometimes she longed for the days when they could just sleep in each others arms.

She calculated the distance to the bottom of the cliff, determining once again that a fall wouldn't kill her. Too bad. If she died, the bond would be broken, and Optimus would be free to choose another mate. The child destined to end the war didn't need to be hers. It just needed to be his. There weren't any other femmes around though. If one ever showed up, she would have to discuss with him if there was any other way to break the bond. Not that she wanted to, but he needed a mate who could give him a child.

One side effect of all the merging they had done was the ability to sense each other's thoughts, at least when they were in close proximity to each other. As he sat beside her on the cliff, he said "Arcee, I love you, and only you. I would not choose another, for any reason."

She turned to look at him. He hated the sadness that was always present in her optics these days. "Optimus, you deserve-" he cut her off with a finger over her lips.

"I deserve to be with you, because I love you. Nothing else matters." He pulled her into his lap and hugged her tightly.

"It's been a year" she whispered against his chest.

"A year?" he asked

"A year since we decided to have a sparkling. An entire earth year has passed. We should be holding our child by now." Sadness and pain laced through her voice.

"Perhaps it just isn't time yet," he tried to console her, but he knew his words fell on deaf ears. They had had this conversation before. "Visions don't always come to pass right away. They can take time."

"Maybe we need to talk to Ratchet." She had dreaded broaching the subject with Optimus, but after a year of failure, she thought they needed to do something different.

"Ratchet? He cleared you to carry a sparkling before we started trying to create one, didn't he?"

"To carry one, yes. But he didn't do anything to determine our ability to create one. There have to be tests...something he can do to see if there's a reason it isn't happening." She finally got the words out; now to see how he would react. She was sure he could sense how nervous she was about bringing this up.

He surprised her. "Perhaps. I do trust that what you saw will come true when the time is right, but it can't hurt to see if there is a medical problem."  _and I'll do anything to help you feel better_  he thought, but didn't say out loud. She understood though, and smiled at him gratefully.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a note about timing - imagine this is an AU that starts somewhere in season 2 (after Smokescreen arrives) but Darkest Hour and all of season 3 don't happen.


	8. Testing

"I have all the samples I need for now," Ratchet said as he closed the last vial of fluid he had drawn from Optimus and placed it in a tray with multiple other vials from both him and Arcee. "I'll let you know what I find."

"Thank you, Ratchet" said Arcee as Optimus helped her off the medical berth. They left the room silently, but holding hands. Ratchet watched them go, and hoped he could give them some answers.

* * *

"I hope he finds something" said Arcee after Optimus closed the door to their quarters. "Something that can be fixed.".

"Ratchet is the best at his job," Optimus replied. "If there is a problem, he will find it, and he will know how to fix it." He watched her climb into their bed and lay down on her pillow. He loved her so much, and he did enjoy trying to create a sparkling with her, but sometimes these days, it seemed like more of a chore than it should. He would never deny her though. "What would you like to do tonight?"

"Just…..hold me?"

"Anytime." he said with a smile as he laid down next to her. Arcee smiled back at him, although it never reached her optics anymore. He longed for the days when her smile would light up her whole face.

* * *

Ratchet worked into the night, running every available test on the fluids he had collected, and looking through all the data he had gathered from physical exams of both Optimus and Arcee. He didn't want to tell them what he was beginning to fear he would have to tell them in the morning.

He waited until they had both walked in and closed the door. The others, and the children, were not yet at the base, but they would be soon. Optimus sat down, and Arcee stood beside him. They held hands. Ratchet knew that they would face it together, but it didn't make the news any easier to deliver.

A year ago, when they started this journey, it wouldn't have been bad news. At that time, he had only assessed Arcee's ability to carry a sparkling, not even thinking that creating one would be a problem. But after a year of trying and failing, the results he had gotten from every test were bad news. "I cannot find any medical reason that you cannot create a sparkling." If nothing was broken, nothing could be fixed. "All I can tell you is that you are both completely healthy. There is no medical reason for the lack of success. If you continue to try, eventually, you will succeed. Unfortunately, I cannot give you a timeline for when that will occur."

Arcee closed her optics and leaned into Optimus. He wrapped her tightly in his arms, trying to give her whatever comfort he could offer. This was not what they wanted to hear.

"Thank you, Ratchet" said Optimus as Arcee held back tears against his chest.

"If there's anything else I can do….."

"We will let you know." They walked back to their quarters, even though it was morning. They needed a few minutes together to gather the strength to face the rest of the day.

* * *

Optimus didn't want to leave Arcee alone, but he had other duties to attend to. He made her promise to call him or Ratchet if she needed them, and she made him promise to call her if she was needed on duty.

After he left, she laid on their bed and stared at the ceiling. She felt like giving up, but she couldn't. Every night, her vision reminded her that she couldn't stop trying - the future of their species depended on her mate producing a child.

She wanted a child, not just because of her vision, but just because she wanted one. She knew that Optimus wanted one too. She could picture a little femme or a little mech, each a perfect combination of herself and Optimus. Long ago, she had thought that she would have several children. Now, she would be happy with one.

She imagined what it would feel like to have a little spark pulsing next to hers. Tiny little hands and feet, hitting and kicking inside her chest. A little sparkling that fit perfectly in her arms, and probably in just one of Optimus' hands. Teaching it to crawl, walk, and talk. Teaching it about both Cybertron and Earth, for both planets would be it's home, even if it never visited Cybertron. When they first started trying to create a sparkling, these thoughts had made her happy. As time went on, they made her sad, and she had avoided them for a long time. Today, she needed to cry, so she allowed the thoughts that she knew would bring tears.

* * *

"I'm concerned about Arcee," Ratchet began after Optimus joined him in the medbay.

"As am I," Optimus replied.

"Her depression is getting worse. There are medications I can synthesize, but none of them are guaranteed to be safe if she does get sparked." Ratchet had read every bit of data available about depression, medications, and sparklings. Humans had infants often, and having one while depressed wasn't uncommon. Their medications had been studied. The same could not be said for Cybertronians. Depression was not common, and depression while sparked was even more uncommon. The medications had not been studied, and he wasn't about to make Arcee a test subject.

"She'd never agree to anything that isn't guaranteed to be safe."

"Have you thought about taking a break?" Ratchet was cautious about suggesting it, but he knew Optimus was the one to talk to about such things. Arcee would never even think about it.

"A break?"

"A break from trying to create a sparkling," he clarified. "Spend some time together without that as your goal."

"She does not insist on trying every night, as she used to. But I won't deny her when she asks." Merging and interfacing with Arcee was enjoyable, although not as intense as it was in the beginning of their relationship.

"How about a vacation then?" Ratchet moved on to his second suggestion. "Go somewhere, just the two of you, even for just a day. You'll only be a groundbridge away if you're needed."

"That is a good idea, my friend."

* * *

June never knew anymore if Arcee or Smokescreen was going to bring Jack home. She had gotten used to the sportscar that acted like a human teenager, but she still preferred it when Aree watched over Jack. She knew that Arcee would keep Jack out of trouble, while Smokescreen was more likely to get him into trouble.

Smokescreen was more likely to be sitting in her garage than Arcee these days, so June was surprised to see the motorcycle when she pulled in.

"Everything ok, Arcee?" she asked as she got out of her car.

June was proud of the fact that she was no longer surprised when one of the autobots transformed in front of her. It had taken awhile for her to get to used to it. She didn't even blink when there was suddenly a robot sitting in front of her instead of a vehicle. "Smoke's on a mission," said Arcee. "We'll switch out later tonight."

"Ok. And….how are you doing?" June didn't expect Arcee to suddenly start shaking and crying, but she rushed to her side just as she would have any of her friends. "I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to make you cry."

"No, no, it's not your fault," Arcee said as she tried to control her tears. "We just got some bad news this morning."

"Oh no. Anything you want to talk about?"

"It wouldn't normally be bad news, but after trying for a year, it is. Ratchet hasn't been able to find any reason that we can't create a sparkling. There's nothing wrong. So there's nothing to fix. We just have to keep trying."

"I'm sorry to hear that. I know you were hoping for some answers."

"It's just hard to keep hoping for a child when we've been trying for so long."

* * *

"What parts of this world do you wish most to visit?" Optimus asked Arcee as they laid in each other's arms before going to sleep.

The question surprised her, and Arcee had to think for a few moments before replying. "I've never really thought about it. This planet is so different from Cybertron."

"Yes" he agreed

"We've seen lots of mountains in our hunt for energon mines. But I've seen pictures of many other types of terrain. Beaches, jungles, islands surrounded by water. It would be nice to experience more of what this planet has to offer.

"Yes, it would" he said, already plotting where they would take their 'vacation.'

 


	9. Vacation

"Ratchet will handle the base today," Optimus told Arcee as they awoke one morning several days later. "We're going to take a vacation."

"Vacation?"

"A trip, to somewhere we wouldn't normally go. It'll be fun" and hopefully it will make you smile again, he thought but didn't say.

"Where are we going?"

"It's a surprise."

* * *

"Where are we?"

"This is an uninhabited island in the tropical region of this planet. The water that surrounds it is called the Caribbean Sea." Optimus had needed Agent Fowler's help to find an uninhabited place with a beach and a jungle, that wasn't under any major airplane flight paths. He carried a small device built by Ratchet that ensured the decepticons wouldn't find them either.

"It's beautiful," said Arcee. "What should we do?"

"Whatever you would like to do," Optimus replied. "Just let me reply to a message from Ratchet."

"Everything ok?"

Optimus nodded, then stepped aside on the beach, leaving Arcee to look around on her own for a few minutes. She walked toward the trees that lined the beach, several yards from the shoreline. They were palm trees, and the large fruits read as edible to humans. She peeked back at Optimus and came up with a sneaky idea. When humans visited a beach, they wore less clothing - something called a swimsuit. She quickly accessed pictures of what human females wore on the beach and adjusted her armor to match. Then she hid behind a tree and watched as Optimus followed her footprints.

"Arcee?" Optimus called as he followed the footprints she had left in the sand. He had a brief moment of fear that something had happened to her before he saw a flash of sunlight on metal in the trees. She had changed the placement of her armor, and he could feel mischievousness through their bond. He was glad that she seemed to be having fun - that was why they were here after all. He caught a glimpse of her whole body and was struck by how beautiful she was. He had always found her beautiful, of course, but seeing her with the adjustments she had made to her armor had him fighting to keep his interface drive down. This trip was meant to be fun and relaxing, and that was all.

"Catch me if you can!" he heard through his comm, then she took off into the jungle. He smiled as he followed her, catching flashes of the sun on her skin as he went. If she wanted to play chase, he could accommodate that. He came to a small clearing in the trees and knew she was nearby, but he couldn't see her. He had no warning as she jumped out of the tree above him, landing with her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist, and pressing her lips to his for a deep kiss. "You're wearing too much armor" she whispered against his mouth, before kissing him again.

"We're supposed to be relaxing and having fun here, Arcee," he said, but he adjusted his armor as well.

"Believe me, this is going to be fun."

He didn't have any way to respond to that. He just let her push him down to the ground.

* * *

"Wow" said Arcee as she and Optimus recovered from an intense interface and spark merge.

"I agree" he replied, turning to smile at her. The light filtered through the trees, shifting the patterns on their metal skin as they laid in each others arms.

"It used to be like that all the time," she said sadly. "I didn't realize trying to create a sparkling had affected this part of our relationship so much."

"We've been focused so much on the end goal, that we've forgotten how to enjoy the process."

"Well that was a very enjoyable process" she said, turning to grin at him. He noticed that it almost reached her optics. "Let's not forget again."

"That is a very good plan"

* * *

"Thank you for bringing me here," Arcee said as they walked back to the beach to return home. "We should take vacations more often."

"You are welcome, and you are right. There are not many places where we can visit safely, but we will have to get away from the base, just the two of us, more often." Optimus was already plotting their next relaxing, fun trip. She almost looked happy, and he had missed that.

"I'd like that," she said as they held hands and called for a groundbridge to bring them home.

* * *

"You need to take Arcee on another vacation," Ratchet said without preamble. "It's been months since your last trip, and you've both been working non-stop. She's getting back into a deep depression again."

"I know" Optimus replied. "There just hasn't been time-"

"So make time." Ratchet was unforgiving when it came to Arcee's well-being. "Send someone else on one of your trips, or take her with you. Aren't you going to Maine in a few days?"

"Yes, yes I am" Optimus said thoughtfully. "I can take her with me for that trip. There are places she can visit while I check in with the team there."

"Good. Do that. Smokescreen can fill in for her here."

* * *

Optimus left Arcee on Wayward Island after explaining to her that he would be checking in with the rescue team stationed on the nearby island of Griffon Rock, then returning to spend the afternoon with her. The islands were shielded, so he was not concerned about decepticons finding her, and the local team had already been alerted that they were visiting today.

"Hello, Chief Burns," Optimus said at the window to the command center.

"Hello, Optimus," the chief replied. "The team is just finishing up some work in the sanctuary tunnels. They'll be back soon." He looked out the window. "Heatwave said you would be visiting with a teammate?"

"I left my teammate to explore Wayward Island. She enjoys both beaches and forests."

"She? I didn't realize….well…"

"Yes, Chief Burns, we do do have different genders in our species." Optimus said with a smile. "In fact, Arcee, the teammate whom I left on Wayward Island, is my sparkmate. I believe the closest human term would be 'spouse,' although for us it is a more complex bond than for humans." He paused. "For example, I know that whatever she is doing right now, she is enjoying it. And she can tell that I am glad she is enjoying it; she has been depressed recently."

"I will never cease to be amazed at how alike two such different species can be." the chief returned Optimus' smile. "Even down to husbands trying to cheer up their wives."

* * *

When Arcee first stepped onto the beach, she had thought about changing her armor again. But the temperature here was colder than the last beach she and Optimus had visited, so she quickly nixed that idea. She still wanted to play a game with him though. That had been a lot of fun on their last trip.

She had a few hours before he returned - long enough to explore and find a hiding place. Hide and seek sounded fun. She didn't think she'd be able to use the same trick she had used in the Caribbean, but she could certainly try.

She explored the forest on the island, marveling at how different it was from the tropical island they had visited before. These plants were adapted for cold weather. There were no palm trees here. The trees were much sturdier and taller, and there were many different types of leaves.

She wandered the forest near the beach, finding a clearing that was perfect for her plans, until she heard Optimus call her name after he arrived back. "Come and find me" she said through the comm system, as she climbed into her chosen hiding spot.

Optimus followed the trail she had clearly left for him, careful to look up as well as all around. When he entered the clearing, he looked around at the trees. She jumped into his arms as soon as he spotted her, kissing him deeply and running her fingers over his upper arms. "We're both wearing too much armor this time," she whispered.

"Something we can easily fix."

* * *

Arcee woke up in the middle of the night. Something was different. She couldn't put her finger on exactly what it was, but something was unusual. It wasn't bad. Just different. She rolled over, snuggled closer to Optimus and tried to go back to sleep. His arms tightened around her reflexively, but he didn't wake up.

She couldn't sleep. She carefully removed Optimus' arm from around her waist and climbed out of the bed. She walked around the room, sat at the desk, and absentmindedly looked at the monitors. Finally, she sat back on the bed and took the scanner out of the nightstand. Ratchet had given it to her over a year ago, when she got tired of asking him to scan her nearly every morning. At some point, Optimus had made her stop using it immediately after every merge with him. She still checked herself, but far less often now. She closed her optics and activated the scanner.

The words on the screen were the most beautiful thing she had ever seen. She scrambled over to his side of the bed, shaking him hard. "Optimus, wake up! We did it!"

 


	10. Joy

Arcee closed her optics and activated the scanner. She opened her optics when it beeped; the words on the screen were the most beautiful thing she had ever seen. She scrambled over to Optimus' side of the bed, shaking him hard. "Optimus, wake up! We did it!"

Optimus woke up quickly, noting the joy in her voice and through their bond, and the smile that reached her optics on her face. He knew immediately what she meant, but couldn't do anything other than hug her tightly. When he had woken up enough to actually think, he pulled back and looked into her optics. He still couldn't come up with the right words to say.

Arcee took his hand and placed it over her chest. Still smiling widely, she looked back into his optics. Slowly, he started to smile too. Finally, his brain came up with one word. "Wow."

Arcee's grin got even wider. "We're going to have a sparkling, Optimus."

The next words he was able to process were "We need to see Ratchet" as he made to get out of the bed.

Arcee stopped him, laughing. "It's the middle of the night, Optimus. We can wait until morning. Let Ratchet sleep."

"Why did you scan yourself in the middle of the night?"

"I could tell something was different. Not necessarily wrong, just different. I couldn't sleep until I figured it out."

"Let's get some more sleep, then. We'll see Ratchet first thing in the morning."

They laid back down in their usual spots, but this time, Arcee kept a hand over her chest, and Optimus placed one of his on top of hers.

* * *

Ratchet held a scanner over Arcee's chest very early the next morning. "Congratulations, you two. You have a very healthy sparkling in there." He adjusted the scanner to show the faint sparkbeat of the sparkling. "Everything looks perfect."

Arcee and Optimus hadn't been able to stop smiling since they woke up that morning. He dropped to his knees next to the medical berth that she was sitting on, and stared into her optics, holding both of her hands in his. They shared feelings of love and joy through their bond. He lowered his head to kiss her hand, then looked back into her optics. Words didn't exist to express how either of them was feeling at that moment.

"Under no circumstances are you to open your chestplates, Arcee," Ratchet began giving instructions. "I want to see you every morning, and if anything ever feels wrong, or even just different, I want to know about it."

"Yes, Ratchet," she said, but she never took her optics off of Optimus'

Squealing tires announced the arrival of the others and the children. "Well then," said Ratchet, "under normal circumstances, I'd tell a couple to give themselves at least a few days to get used to the idea before sharing their news, but I think everyone out there in the command center will know just by looking at the two of you. So, go make them happy."

"Thank you, Ratchet," Optimus said as he helped Arcee down from the berth.

* * *

They walked into the command center to find Bulkhead at the monitors while Smokescreen and Bumblebee stood next to the platform that the human children were climbing up to. Jack saw them first, and as Ratchet had predicted, knew instantly.

Jack nudged Raf and Miko, who both looked over at Arcee and Optimus. Miko spoke first, exclaiming "Really?!" at the top of her voice. Arcee nodded at her, and then there was just a flurry of movement. Everyone ran over to them, giving hugs and offering congratulations. Miko had a million questions, as usual. Happiness reigned throughout the base, and whatever missions were planned for the morning were pushed back to the afternoon. Arcee made them all promise to treat her like normal, but everyone knew that wouldn't actually happen.

Before the children left for home that evening, Arcee pulled her charge aside. "Jack, will you tell your mom for me, please? And...tell her I said thanks. She's been helpful over the last year and a half."

"I'll tell her," he replied. "And Arcee?"

"Yes?"

"I'm really happy for you. Congratulations."

"Thanks, Jack."

* * *

As they laid down to sleep that night, Optimus kissed Arcee's chest and whispered "I love you," then kissed her lips and said "and I love you."

She smiled at him "And we both love you, too." She took his hand and placed it over her chest. "Can you feel it?" He shook his head, confused. "I can feel it, just a whisper, but it's there. I can feel it's spark pulsing next to mine. I might be imagining it, but if I am, I'm just going to imagine it until it's real."

He smiled "It's real if you think it's real. It will be real soon enough." He kissed her gently again. "Rest well, both of you." He kept his hand on her chest, and they both fell asleep smiling.

 


	11. Boredom

'I'm taking you off missions outside of the base," Ratchet said about 3 months later. "You should be able to transform for several more weeks, but I don't want to risk anything. You can still transport Jack, as long as you don't transform out of vehicle mode when you're out of the base, and someone else is always nearby."

"Ratchet-"

"I know it's hard, Arcee, but you have to consider the sparkling for everything now."

"I understand. Thanks, Ratchet." Arcee reminded herself how much she wanted this, and how much she loved her sparkling. She could feel it's sparkbeat now, anytime she was still for more than a few minutes, pulsing right beside hers. Sometimes she thought she could feel it kicking or hitting her with tiny feet or fists, but she wasn't sure yet. She hated that her teammates were going to have to split her duties, but she would be able to pick up more of what needed to be done inside the base.

* * *

Arcee attempted her transformation sequence 5 times before giving up. "Scrap" she cursed to herself. "Smokescreen?" she called

"Yeah, Arcee?"

"It's time. You're Jack's guardian for the next year or so," she said sadly.

"I'll try not to get him into too much trouble." Smokescreen laughed.

Arcee laughed too, but the look in her optics told Smokescreen that her words were dead serious. "Keep him out of trouble, or you'll both answer to me."

* * *

"Arcee needs to go somewhere," Ratchet said to Optimus. "Anywhere. Just get her out of the base for awhile. She's going stir-crazy here."

"I was thinking of taking her back to Maine with me tomorrow. I'm just not sure she would appreciate visiting in the winter." Optimus vividly remembered visiting a snow covered landscape with Arcee, both of them almost freezing while they were there.

"It's not nearly as cold there as it is in the Arctic. Your core temperatures won't drop too low. But I can still supply sensors if you would like them." He paused for a moment. "The children are out of school for their winter break. If you'll be visiting the rescue bots, maybe one of them would like to accompany you."

"Hmmm, perhaps. I'll see what Arcee thinks"

* * *

"I'll be visiting the rescue team stationed in Griffon Rock tomorrow. Would you like to come with me?" Optimus asked Arcee as they laid down to sleep. The way her hands roamed over his torso told him that they wouldn't actually be sleeping until later though.

"I'd like that," Arcee replied. "Do they know about us? About the sparkling?"

"The chief knows about us, but no one outside of our team knows about the sparkling. We can tell them, if you'd like." He smiled. "At least one of them will insist we have to return after it's birth."

Arcee laughed. "I'm sure we can manage that."

"Do you think Jack might like to come with us?"

"He's working tomorrow. Maybe Raf would like to come though. Don't they have a human ally his age?"

"Yes, they do. And I believe Cody would enjoy meeting Rafael. I'll check with him, then inform the rescue bots that I'll be bringing guests." He caught her hands in his and leaned over to kiss her.

* * *

"I wonder who he's bringing," Blades said for the fifth time that morning. "I can't wait to meet another member of his team. And one of their human partners! I wonder what they're like?"

"Blades," said Heatwave, "the most likely reason for Optimus to bring teammates is for a mission. Remember?"

"I know, but-" Blades was interrupted by the alerts sounding in the firehouse.

Chief Burns called down to them. "Team, we're needed at the docks." He turned to Cody. "Wait here for Optimus, son, and let him know we'll be back as soon as we can."

"Yes, dad." Cody headed for the command center while the others left. Soon he heard heavy footsteps and ran downstairs to open the garage.

"Hi Optimus! The others had an emergency at the docks, but they'll be back soon."

"Hello, Cody. Do they require assistance?"

"No, they've got it."

"In that case, I'd like you to meet Bumblebee's partner, Rafael." A human boy stepped forward and waved shyly. "And one of my teammates, Arcee." A blue female robot smiled from her place at Optimus' side.

"Hi" Cody said. "Are you here on a mission, Optimus?"

"I am here to check in with the rescue team. Arcee is here because this is a safe place for her to visit outside of our base. And Rafael is here to accompany Arcee, and because Bumblebee thought you and he would be good friends."

Before Cody could ask any more questions, the firehouse doors opened as the rest of the team returned. Optimus made introductions again, then said "Rescue bots, report to the training course with your partners." He turned to Arcee "I'm sure Cody will be happy to show you around."

Cody nodded, although he was still confused and had several questions. He decided that Arcee or Rafael would be able to answer them though.

"Rafael?" said Optimus

"Commlink is established, sir. I've got a direct link to Ratchet if we need him."

"Very good. Remain with Arcee."

"Yes, sir."

* * *

"I didn't know there were girls on your planet, Heatwave" said Kade as they drove to the training course. "I wonder what she turns into? Probably something small and maneuverable. Could be useful for rescue work. Think she'd want to stay here for awhile?"

Heatwave was used to Kade's babbling, and only halfway listening. Optimus heard him though, and chose to reply. "Arcee is my sparkmate, Kade. She will not be staying in Griffon Rock."

Heatwave interrupted Kade before he could make the situation worse. "I'm sorry, sir, my  _partner_  doesn't know how to stay silent."

"We have a human among our allies like that as well, Heatwave. Perhaps I'll bring her next time." Optimus smiled, wondering what the rescue bots would think of Miko.

"Your team is always welcome here, Optimus," said Heatwave. "We did think you would be here for a mission though, when you said you were bringing teammates. We weren't aware that you had a sparkmate."

" _What's a sparkmate?"_ Kade whispered to Heatwave.  
"The c _losest human word is spouse"_ Heatwave whispered back.

"Arcee is here because she has been unable to leave our base for several weeks, and has been feeling what her human partner calls 'cabin fever'." Optimus explained. "She cannot currently transform, which is a problem in most places on this planet. Griffon Rock is an exception - giant robots are not out of the ordinary here. Rafael is here because our medic, Ratchet, requests that Arcee always be accompanied by someone from our team, and her partner was unavailable today."

"I admit I don't know much about Cybertronian biology, but if your medic wants Doc Green and I to see if we can help-" Graham began.

"Thank you, Graham, but that won't be necessary. The problem will resolve itself in a few months, after our sparkling is born."

Eight faces appeared on the viewscreen, all asking a question or offering congratulations. Optimus replied to all of them at once. "As I said, Arcee is my sparkmate - the closest human word is spouse. She is expecting a sparkling - an infant. Thank you, and yes we will visit again once the sparkling arrives. Now, I believe we have reached our destination."

* * *

"So, um, what do you turn into?" Cody asked Arcee after the others had left.

"A motorcycle," she replied. "But I can't transform right now."

"Oh. Are you….um….are you ok?"

"I'm fine," Arcee laughed. "I'm expecting a sparkling - a baby - and it has gotten big enough that I can no longer transform. That's why I'm here, actually. I was getting bored, having to stay in the base."

"What would you like to do today?" Cody asked both of his guests.

"I'd like to see snow." Raf replied. "It doesn't snow where we are in Nevada. Even in the winter"

"I know a place where we can play in the snow, build snowmen, and have a snowball fight!" Cody was excited to introduce his new friend to something he hadn't seen before. "Would either of you mind if I ask my friend Frankie to come with us? She knows the bots' secret."

Arcee wondered if Optimus had purposefully left her with three human children, but nevertheless, she said "that sounds fun!"

* * *

"You have all progressed well since my last visit," Optimus said as they finished the course. "If you will excuse me, I will meet you back at the firehouse." Heatwave nodded, and Optimus left to meet up with Arcee and the children.

"A sparkling! Do you think they'll bring it here after it's born?" said Blades.

"I wonder why they decided to have a sparkling during the war," said Heatwave. "It seems irresponsible. Not like Optimus at all."

"Maybe it wasn't something they got to 'decide'" said Kade.

"We're not humans, Kade," Boulder replied. "Cybertronians don't get sparked on accident. But whatever their reason was, I'm sure it was a good one. Optimus wouldn't make a decision like that lightly."

"You're right, Boulder," replied Heatwave. "Come on, let's get back to the firehouse. I'd like to talk with them some more before they head back to their base."

* * *

Arcee woke up in the middle of the night, clutching her chestplates, in pain. She shook Optimus. "Something's wrong!"

"Arcee!" Optimus couldn't keep the panic out of his voice. He opened an emergency comm. "Ratchet, we need you!"

Ratchet was there before the comm was even closed.

"Arcee? What's happening?"

"It hurts. It feels like my chestplates are trying to open. I...I can't stop them!"

"It's too early." Ratchet muttered as he scanned her.

 


	12. Fear

Arcee woke up in the middle of the night, clutching her chestplates, in pain. She shook Optimus. "Something's wrong!"

"Arcee!" Optimus couldn't keep the panic out of his voice. He opened an emergency comm. "Ratchet, we need you!"

Ratchet was there before the comm was even closed. "Arcee? What's happening?"

"It hurts. It feels like my chestplates are trying to open. I...I can't stop them!"

"It's too early." Ratchet muttered as he scanned her.

"Optimus," he said, "put pressure on her chestplates. Keep them closed. . .we're going to carry her to the medbay."

Optimus picked Arcee up in one arm, keeping pressure on her chestplates with the other hand. They walked carefully but quickly to the medbay. He laid her down, but kept his hand on her. Ratchet scanned the sparkling.

"Arcee, can you hear me?" Ratchet said. She nodded, in too much pain to reply. "The sparkling is fine. It's too early for it to be born, but it is not in distress. I'm going to induce stasis. That should help your chestplates to relax and stay closed, and give me some time to figure out what's going on."

Arcee nodded again. Optimus leaned over to whisper "I love you" into her audio receptors, then she closed her optics.

"Keep applying pressure, Optimus," Ratchet said. "I'm going to run some tests."

Optimus nodded, glad to be able to help. He was terrified, and he was certain that Ratchet could tell. He didn't want to even think about the possibility of losing Arcee or the sparkling that they loved so much and had worked so hard to create. He whispered words of love and encouragement to both of them, and prayed to Primus that they would be ok.

Finally, Ratchet turned from his monitors. "Arcee will be fine. She's not in any danger. The sparkling will be fine as long as her chestplates stay closed. It's perfectly healthy. Something in Arcee's systems is trying to expel it early, but I do have a solution. I can synthesize a drug that will relax her chestplates, helping them to stay closed. I'll also weld a strip of metal across them, to take the place of the pressure you're currently applying."

"And that will fix the problem?"

"It should. The real test will be what happens when she comes out of stasis, but I believe it will work." Ratchet paused, then added "I will recommend that she spend at least the next several weeks just resting. She can move around the base, but must remain sitting or lying down for the majority of the time."

"She's not going to like that, but I'm certain she will agree to whatever keeps the sparkling safe." Optimus said. "I'll help with the welding."

* * *

Several hours later, Ratchet administered the first dose of the drug that would hopefully keep Arcee's chestplates from trying to open. A stip of metal had been welded across her chest, and Optimus finally removed his hand. They waited a few moments, but nothing happened.

"So far, so good." said Ratchet. "We are ready to bring her out of stasis."

Optimus knelt next to the berth, holding Arcee's hand and making sure she could see him when she woke up. He was still scared, but he knew she would wake up terrified for their sparkling. He concentrated on sending feelings of calm though their bond, so that that would be the first thing she felt when she woke up. He nodded to Ratchet, who turned off the machine.

Nothing happened.

Which was good, because although she didn't wake up, her chestplates stayed firmly closed.

Ratchet scanned her. "She is sleeping deeply, but not in stasis anymore. The sparkling is still fine, and her chestplates are still relaxed. She will wake up soon."

"Thank you, Ratchet," Optimus said, and Ratchet could see the deep gratitude in his optics. "I will remain with her. You should get some rest."

"I'm not going back to sleep. It's nearly time to wake up anyway." Ratchet replied. "I'll be in the lab if you need me. I want to know about  _anything_  that changes."

Optimus sat and watched Arcee as she slept. He hid the terror of the last few hours, concentrating on sending just calm and love through their bond. He loved her so much; he wasn't sure what he would do if anything happened to her, or to their sparkling.

Arcee's sparkbeat monitor sped up, causing Ratchet to come into the room. She moaned, and Optimus could feel how scared she was. He whispered "I love you" and "our sparkling is fine" into her audio receptors as she woke up.

As Arcee gained consciousness, the last thing she remembered was that Ratchet had been trying to stop the sparkling from coming too early. She could feel that Optimus was calm, which eased her fears some. She could also feel the sparkling's sparkbeat next to hers, which helped calm her fears more.

Arcee opened her optics. "Optimus?" she whispered hoarsely.

"I'm here." he answered immediately.

"Sparkling?"

"Our sparkling is fine," he assured her.

"What happened?"

Ratchet stepped in to explain. "Your chestplates tried to open to expel the sparkling, like they normally would when it is time for it to be born. It's too early though, and the sparkling is not strong enough yet. I've synthesized and administered a drug that relaxes your chestplates, keeping them from opening on their own. We also welded a brace across them to keep them closed."

"Thank you, Ratchet," Arcee said as she tried to sit up.

"Take it easy," he replied. "Don't sit up yet. You're staying here for observation for the rest of the day."

"Ratchet-"

"And you're on light-or-no-duty for the duration. Sitting down or laying down only; you can move between rooms, but that's it. And you always need to have someone with you," Ratchet finished his instructions. Now he waited to see how she would take it.

"Is that really necessary?"

"We can reevaluate in a few weeks. But for the health of your sparkling, I believe it is necessary at this time."

Ratchet and Optimus could both see the struggle on her face as she accepted that she had to follow the instructions, for the sake of her sparkling. "Ok," she said, "I can do that."

"How are you feeling?" Optimus asked as Ratchet turned away.

"I'm scared," she whispered. "I can't lose our sparkling. I don't know what I would do…" she choked back her tears.

He pulled her gently into his arms, careful of the monitors still attached to her. "Our sparkling is healthy and strong," he said. "I am confident that it will remain so. I know it will be difficult for you to take it easy, but it isn't forever."

"I know," she replied. "And I will do anything I need to do to keep it safe."

He pressed a soft kiss to her forehead. "Rest now. The children are in school, so the base will be quiet for several hours. I love you."

"I love you too, Optimus."

* * *


	13. Bedrest

Several hours later, squealing tires and the sounds of transformations echoed through the base. The children were out of school.

"Hey Optimus, where's Arcee?" Jack asked. He was used to his guardian greeting him in the command center every day, since she couldn't pick him up from school anymore.

"She's in the medbay," he replied. "Ratchet, is Arcee awake?"

"No, she's still sleeping."

"What happened?" asked Jack. "Is she ok? And the bab-, I mean, sparkling?"

"Arcee and our sparkling are both ok," replied Optimus. "We had a scare last night, and she is required to take it easy for at least the next several weeks."

"And I'm guessing she doesn't like that idea" Jack laughed.

"She does not, but she understands that the health of our sparkling is more important," said Optimus.

"I'd like to see her when she wakes up"

"Of course, Jack. I will let you know when she awakens."

Jack shushed Miko before she started playing her music.

"Dude, what gives?"

"Arcee is sleeping in the medbay. Optimus said they had a scare last night, but she and the sparkling are both fine now." Jack explained. "But she's sleeping, so be quiet please."

"Oh. Ok." Miko turned on the tv, content to play video games with lowered volume for now.

"Jack," said Optimus a short time later. "Arcee is awake."

* * *

"Do I need to stay here tonight? Or can I sleep in my own bed?" Arcee asked Ratchet after the children had left for the night.

"You can sleep in your bed, if you keep your monitors attached," Ratchet replied. "And I want to see you first thing in the morning."

"Thank you, Ratchet"

"And I don't want you to be alone," Ratchet continued. "So you have to come back here if Optimus can't be with you. And you can't leave until he's ready to take you."

"Ok."

"I can take her now," Optimus said as he walked into the room. He went to pick her up, but she stopped him.

"I can walk"

"But you're going to walk as little as possible for the next few weeks at least," Ratchet reminded her. "I'm sure Optimus won't mind carrying you," he said with a smile.

Arcee could think of a few things she wanted to say in reply, but instead she reminded herself that this was best for the sparkling, and let her sparkmate pick her up.

Arcee glared at Optimus as he carried her down the hall. "You're enjoying this too much."

He smiled back. "You are correct. This is likely the only time in our lives that I'll get to carry you around. I'm just going to enjoy it."

She gave up on the glare and smiled. "Alright then." She buried her face in his neck and hugged him tightly. After she heard him close the door to their quarters, she started softly kissing his neck, right where she knew he liked it most.

He groaned. "Arcee, Ratchet didn't say we could do that."

"He didn't say we couldn't."

"That is true. However, I will point out that you are still wearing a monitor. So unless you want him to barge in at a very inopportune time, this is a bad idea."

"Spoilsport" she said, but she stopped kissing him. She let him deposit her on the bed, then snuggled up next to him after he laid down.

A sudden  _thump_  startled Arcee as she lay trying to sleep. She wasn't certain what it was, but as she waited, it happened again. She smiled, and put her hand on her chest, where she felt the sparkling kick, or hit, against her. She looked up at Optimus; he was already asleep. She didn't want to wake him up, fearing that he would react badly after their scare last night. Instead she laid with her hand on her chest, talking softly to their sparkling until it settled down and they both were able to sleep.

* * *

"Since everything has been going well for the last 2 weeks, I'm going to remove the monitor," Ratchet said at Arcee's daily appointment. "But I still want you to take it easy."

"Ok," Arcee agreed. "How long until the sparkling is strong enough that if anything happens, it will survive?"

"At least another month," Ratchet replied. "I'd prefer at least two more though."

"I understand. I'd like it to stay as long as possible too," Arcee replied. She looked at Optimus, then asked "Can we….you know….?"

"Absolutely not!" said Ratchet. "Optimus, how could you even-"

"Don't blame me!" Optimus said quickly. "Her idea. Do you know how hard it is to say no to her?" There were times that monitor she wore was the only thing that stopped Arcee from pressuring him more, and the only thing that stopped him from giving in.

"Arcee," Ratchet said much more calmly, "for the sake of your sparkling-"

"I know, doc," Arcee said, embarrassed. "I just had to find out for sure."

"The urges you're feeling are normal," Ratchet said. Having realized that it wasn't Optimus pressuring Arcee, but the other way around, he had a solution. "I will forward you some things that you can do, if you will promise not to exceed them."

"I promise," Arcee said, smiling.

"Prime?" asked Ratchet.

"I promise as well," Optimus replied.

* * *

"Sit down, Arcee!"

"Ratchet-"

"Just because your sparkling would survive if it were born now doesn't mean it's time,' Ratchet admonished her. "You need to sit or lay down as much as possible. Every day the sparkling stays inside you is better for it."

"I know," she replied. "I forgot my book over there," she said as she pointed across the room. She didn't need to actually read a book. She could just download it. But boredom was getting the better of her, so she had taken to actually reading Earth fiction. It helped to pass the time.

"I know it's hard to ask for help, Arcee," Ratchet said as he handed her the book.

"You have no idea what it's like," she said sadly. "I feel so...helpless."

"Soon enough you're going to be chasing a sparkling," he said, smiling. "Then you'll be wishing for the chance to sit down!"

The sound of a vehicle in the entrance ramp surprised them both. No one was due back yet, and it didn't sound like any members of the team. They were ready to defend themselves when June Darby pulled into the base.

"June," Ratchet began, "Jack isn't here."

"I know," she replied."I'm off today. I thought Arcee could use some different company." She walked over to Arcee. "Jack said you've been bored. I know you can't leave the base, but maybe we can sit on the roof?"

"That would be nice. Thanks, June," said Arcee. "Ratchet?"

"Alright," Ratchet replied. "But here, take this," he handed a small device to June. "It's a direct comm link to me."

"We'll be fine, Ratchet."

* * *

"Wow."

Arcee laughed. "You say that every time you feel our sparkling kick."

"It's just as amazing every time," Optimus said as he kept his hand on her chest.

"It won't be long now before we get to meet him or her." Arcee tried to hide her anxiety from Optimus, but she failed, as usual. He could always tell how she was feeling.

"What's upsetting you, Arcee?" he asked.

"I'm just worried about everything. I know the sparkling is strong enough now. It's just scary to think that we're going to have a new little life to take care of soon. Sparklings don't come with user manuals. What if we screw it up?"

"I am confident that we won't 'screw it up,'" Optimus replied. "We just have to love it and teach it the best we can." He smiled. "And we have Ratchet to help with everything else."

"True. We are lucky for that."

"Sleep now," Optimus said. "Once our sparkling arrives, we may not have the luxury of a full night's rest for a long time. I love you, Arcee."

"I love you too. Good night, Optimus."

"Goodnight, Arcee."

* * *

"Your turn, Jack," Arcee said. It was Saturday afternoon, and she was playing a board game with Jack and Raf. Raf and Ratchet had built a small robot that she could control to move the pieces on a human sized game board. Today they were playing one of Raf's favorites - Settlers of Catan. Jack tolerated it. Miko had disappeared before colors were chosen.

Arcee needed only one more point to win, but the boys didn't know it. The winner got to pick the next game they played, and she was already eying the stack that the kids had been slowly building over the last few months. They had been determined to keep her from being bored when they were not in school; the robot that allowed her to play board games was Jack's idea, even though he wasn't able to build it.

Arcee grinned at the boys, changed a settlement into a city, and turned over her development cards. "I win!"

"Great job, Arcee!" said Raf. "What are we playing next?"

"Miko?" called Arcee. "Will you play Castle Panic with us?" Arcee deliberately chose a game that was shorter, didn't require much strategy, and didn't have a single winner, in hopes that the girl would play too.

"Ok, I'll play," Miko replied. "The goblins, orcs, and trolls, don't stand a chance!"

Arcee smiled at her as Raf closed up the first board game box and Jack opened the second. Suddenly she grimaced in pain and grabbed her chest. Miko rushed to her side as the boys noticed that something was wrong.

"Ratchet!" Jack called with panic in his voice. "Something's wrong with Arcee!"


	14. Birth

"Ratchet!" Jack called with panic in his voice. "Something's wrong with Arcee!" Arcee was sitting in a chair in the command center. She was clutching her chest plates and had started convulsing. Her optics were closed, and her mouth was open in a scream, but no sound came out.

"Bulkhead! Get her into the medbay! Now!" Ratchet moved to get the tools he would need to remove the weld and deliver the sparkling. "Smokescreen! Go get Optimus!" Bumblebee and Optimus were due back soon, but there wasn't any time to wait.

Ratchet administered medication to stop the convulsions, then started removing the weld that had held Arcee's chest plates together ever since they had tried to open on their own and deliver the sparkling too early. He expected them to open as soon as the weld was removed, but they didn't. "Arcee, can you open your chest plates?"

She tried, then shook her head no.

Optimus knew something was wrong as soon as it started. He was calling for a groundbridge as Smokescreen was opening it, so he rushed in immediately.

"Ratchet! What is happening?" Optimus tried to keep the fear and panic out of his voice, but he didn't succeed. He stepped up to Arcee and took her hand. He looked into her optics and tried to send her feelings of calm, but he wasn't succeeding very well, since he didn't feel very calm.

"The sparkling is fighting to get out, and her body is fighting to keep it in. I'm going to have to induce stasis to deliver the sparkling."

"Is it time?"

"It's early, but not too early. It will survive. If I don't deliver it now, they both may not survive."

Optimus nodded at Ratchet, then turned back to Arcee. "I love you." She still couldn't speak, but he could feel her response to him.

"Inducing stasis, now." said Ratchet and Optimus watched Arcee's optics close. "Manually opening her chest plates" Ratchet said as he hooked up a device that did just that. Suddenly, the room was filled with the wailing of a very angry sparkling. Ratchet picked it up, disconnected it from Arcee, and placed it into Optimus' hands. "Keep it warm. I'll check it over once Arcee is stable, but it sounds healthy enough."

Optimus stepped back in shock, staring at the tiny sparkling, which was still shrieking in anger. He vaguely heard Ratchet say to keep it warm, so he brought it close to his chest and held it there. It still cried, but not quite as loudly.

Ratchet was working hard on stabilizing Arcee. He manually closed her chest plates, then checked her monitors. He cursed, then called Bumblebee in to help him, since Optimus was otherwise occupied with staring at the still shrieking newborn. He didn't stop working, but he did call across the room "Talk to it, Optimus. It knows your voice!"

Optimus was torn. He wanted to be beside Arcee, but Ratchet had placed him in charge of his sparkling. He was still in shock, not sure what else he should do. He heard Ratchet say to talk to it, so he looked down at the screaming sparkling. "Hello, little one," he said. The screaming stopped for half a second. "I'm your father, and I love you very much." A few seconds of silence this time, then more shrieking. It was a little bit quieter though "Your mother loves you very much too. She can't wait to meet you, but the doctor has to finish fixing her up first." A longer silence, then quieter crying. "He's going to get her fixed up, then he's going to make sure that you are healthy." Finally, the crying mostly subsided. "I love you, my little one." He held the sparkling against his chest, close to his spark. It relaxed in his hands and whimpered, but no longer cried.

With Bumblebee's help, Ratchet managed to stop Arcee's convulsions, but he didn't like some of the numbers on the monitors. She was stable though, so he could take the time to check out the sparkling.

* * *

Bulkhead, Bumblebee, and Smokescreen kept the humans from trying to follow Optimus into the medbay. They could hear what was going on, even with the door closed. The command center was eerily quiet compared to the noise of the medbay.

"Sounds healthy" Bulkhead said as they heard the angry screaming of the sparkling.

Smokescreen had to pick Jack up to keep him from following Bumblebee in. "Take it easy, Jack, you can't help. They don't need to worry about not stepping on you right now."

"I know….but….she's my guardian." Jack sighed, and Smokescreen put him down. "I feel so helpless…"

"We all do, but she's in the best hands right now."

"I know," said Jack, as he resumed staring at the door.

* * *

"Thank you, Bumblebee" said Ratchet as the numbers on Arcee's monitors stabilized. Bumblebee beeped  _you're welcome_  then returned to the command center to watch over the humans. Ratchet turned his attention to the Prime, who still appeared to be in shock as he held the newborn sparkling close to his chest. It was completely engulfed in his hands, but Ratchet trusted that the new father hadn't accidentally crushed it.

"Alright, Optimus, let's take a look," said Ratchet. Optimus slowly opened his hands and moved the sparkling away from his chest, laying it down next to it's mother. The sparkling immediately snuggled up to Arcee, pressing it's head to her side where it could hear her spark pulsing. All remaining tension immediately left it's tiny body, and it finally opened it's optics.

Ratchet turned his scanners on the newborn, the light causing it to whimper. "It's a very healthy little femme, Optimus," said Ratchet. "Optimus?" He looked up at the Prime, who was not listening. Optimus' optics were on Arcee, and the fear in his face was sparkbreaking. "She's going to be ok, Optimus," Ratchet said gently. "Your daughter needs you now."

"Daughter?" Optimus said as he finally looked back at Ratchet.

"Yes," Ratchet smiled. "A very healthy little femme," he repeated. "Congratulations, Optimus."

Optimus looked down at the sparkling. His daughter. She was rubbing her face against her mother, seemingly trying to get her to react. She was built just like Arcee, with light pink highlights. Her color was mostly royal blue though, and her optics were light crystal blue. "Wow." The emotions of the day caught up with Optimus, and if Ratchet hadn't placed a crate for him to sit on, he would have certainly collapsed onto the floor.

"Easy, Optimus," said Ratchet as he helped the prime sit down. Optimus reached a hand toward the sparkling, who promptly grabbed one of his fingers with both of her tiny hands. He was used to hiding his emotions, but he wasn't used to not being able to clearly identify them. His joy for his sparkling's birth was fighting with his fear for Arcee's life, and he was finding it all overwhelming. He was grateful for Ratchet's cool head during such a trying time.

Ratchet placed a blanket over the sparkling and handed a container of a special energon and nutrient mixture to Optimus. Arcee would produce it naturally, but for now they had to use an artificial mixture to feed the sparkling. Optimus….still wasn't all there. "Optimus, she's hungry. Feed her this."

Optimus shook his head to clear it, then disengaged the tube from the top of the container, picked up the sparkling, and placed the tube in her mouth. She protested leaving her mother, but drank greedily.

"Wow." Optimus still couldn't seem to say anything other than single words, and that one was his current favorite.

* * *

Once he was certain that Optimus wasn't going to be his next patient, Ratchet walked out into the command center. He knew that the events of the day would have frightened the humans.

The room was abnormally quiet. The humans laid in a pile on the couch, but jumped up as soon as he entered the room. "The sparkling is a healthy femme," he said.

"How's Arcee?" Jack asked immediately.

"She is still unconscious, and will remain that way for awhile. But I believe she is going to make a full recovery."

"You believe. That means you don't know for sure," Jack accused.

"Jack, I have faith that she will be fine, but it may take awhile. She has a daughter and a sparkmate who need her, and she would never abandon you." Ratchet tried to reassure Jack. "Her systems have been through a lot today, and are still trying to recover. I can't speculate as to when, but she will wake up," he continued. "I've contacted your mother and Raf's and Miko's families. The three of you can stay together at your house tonight. Smokescreen will take you all there. None of you should be alone tonight."

"Thanks, Ratchet," Jack said. "You'll let us know if she wakes up?"

"Of course, Jack."

* * *

Once the sparkling had finished her first meal, she fell asleep in her father's arms. Optimus was doing a little better. He didn't leave Arcee's side, but he was able to compose sentences again. He had a complete conversation with Ratchet, explaining that he wouldn't name the sparkling without her mother, and refused to leave the medbay for any reason. He needed to be there when Arcee woke up. Exhaustion got the better of him, and he fell asleep sitting up next to the berth. Ratchet smiled as he took the sparkling out of his arms and laid her in a specially built crib.

The medical monitors started beeping alarmingly, and Ratchet checked them. He quickly shut off the beeping and administered medicine to correct the problems, but the beeping had already woke both the sparkling and her father.

Optimus picked up his daugher and attempted to calm her as he turned to the medic. "Ratchet, what is happening?" The sparkling still cried, sensing her father's fear. He couldn't calm her if he wasn't calm himself.

"Arcee's systems are reacting to the abrupt loss of their connection to the sparkling," Ratchet answered. "I've stabilized her, but I fear it will continue happening until she wakes up and realizes that it is safe."

"What can we do?" Optimus couldn't keep the worry out of his voice. The sparkling still whimpered against his chest, but as he calmed down slightly, so did she.

"For now, we wait."

* * *

Optimus sat beside his sparkmate, holding their newborn sparkling, thinking. Ratchet had relented and went to bed, but only after setting the monitors to alert him to any changes at all. The sparkling refused to sleep, and refused to be put down. She could sense her father's worry and her mother's condition. She was calm only when pressed against Optimus' chest where she could hear his spark.

Ratchet had left several containers of the energon and nutrient mixture that they needed to feed the sparkling, and Optimus opened one when she began to act hungry again. She drank it quickly, but still refused to sleep. Optimus talked to her, telling her all about her mother and how much they both loved her. He promised to love her and protect her forever, and to do everything he could to make her happy and keep her safe. He told her about the beauty of the planet they were on, and the beauty of their homeworld when it was whole. Her optics finally closed when he started recounting the history of their species, and he smiled for the first time that day. It was a sad smile though, not reaching his optics. He loved his daughter, and he was overjoyed to have her, but he couldn't imagine facing the rest of his life without Arcee.

With his sparkling asleep against his chest, held there securely with one of his hands, Optimus turned his attention to Arcee. He thought back through the years since he had woken up to find her in his bed, and remembered all of the happy times they had shared. He needed her to be ok, to wake up, to have more happy times with him and their daughter.

Ratchet said she couldn't hear him, but he spoke to her anyway. He told her that he loved her and pleaded with her to wake up and meet their sparkling. He told her that the sparkling was as beautiful as she was, and that she refused to be away from him for any time at all.

The sparkling stirred in his hand, and without thinking he laid her on Arcee's chest. The effect was instantaneous. Monitors beeped wildly, and Arcee opened her optics seconds after Ratchet reached the room. The beeping woke the sparkling, who started crying, and Arcee brought her hands up instinctively to hold her as she tried to sit up. Ratchet shut off the beeping monitors and scanned Arcee as Optimus helped her sit while holding the sparkling.

"What happened?" she finally asked. She looked down in confusion at the wiggling, but no longer crying, bundle in her hands. "Is this-"

"Our sparkling," Optimus answered, smiling. "Ratchet had to deliver her earlier today. She looks just like you."

"She?"

"Yes. Our daughter."

"Is she ok?" Arcee asked. "Wasn't it early?" She felt sluggish, like she was trying to move and think through a thick fog. Her body felt a profound sense of loss without the pulse of the small spark that had been next to hers for so long. Her mind was having a hard time accepting that the tiny sparkling in her arms was hers.

"It was a little early," Ratchet answered. "But not too early. She is perfectly healthy. You gave us quite a scare, but everything seems to have returned to normal now."

Arcee pulled the sparkling away from her chest and slowly opened the blanket. She looked down at her daughter in wonder. "Wow."

Ratchet and Optimus glanced at each other and laughed. "That was my reaction too," said Optimus, smiling.

The sparkling whimpered and rubbed her face against her mother's arm. Optimus recognized that she was hungry and moved to get one of the nutrient containers, but Arcee simply opened a panel in her wrist and disengaged a feeding tube. She smiled through tears of happiness as her daughter ate.

"I'll be in my quarters if you need me," said Ratchet after determining that everyone was healthy and deciding to give them some privacy. "Oh, Arcee, Optimus refused to reveal her name until you woke up. Are the two of you ready to give her one?"

They looked into each other's optics for several moments, then back at the doctor. "Her name is Hope."


	15. Growing

"I can't believe she's really here," Arcee smiled as she held the sleeping sparkling. "And we get to keep her."

"Forever," said Optimus. "I love you. Both of you. So much." He placed a gentle kiss on Hope's forehead, then looked at Arcee. "You should get some rest. It's been a long day."

"You should rest too," said Arcee. She laid Hope down on a small berth that had been pulled over next to her. When they had reevaluated the events of the day, Ratchet and Optimus realized that Arcee had been fine, although asleep, when Hope was near her, and had crashed when she was moved away. She woke up and stabilized completely when Optimus had placed the sparkling on her chest. For now, mother and sparkling would not be separated. Ratchet suspected that the connection between them went deeper than he had thought, and that both of their bodies needed time to adjust to being separated.

"Later," said Optimus. He wasn't about to go back to their quarters alone. He would probably end up sleeping sitting up next to her in the medbay again, but that sounded better than sleeping alone in their bed. He didn't want to be any distance away from Arcee or Hope.

"Goodnight, Optimus," Arcee whispered as her optics closed. "I love you."

Hope's shrieking several hours later woke both of her parents. Arcee was feeding her before Optimus managed to stand up. She smiled up at him. "She certainly knows how to let us know she's hungry."

"That she does," Optimus said as he sat back down. "How do you know what to do with her?"

"I read everything Ratchet had on how to take care of a sparkling," Arcee said. "and a lot about what humans do too." She looked down at Hope, then back at him. "A lot of it is surprisingly similar, but there are plenty of differences."

"I feel like I haven't done anything to prepare-"

Arcee cut him off. "You've been a little busy protecting us, protecting this planet." She smiled at him. "So what do you want to know about caring for a sparkling?"

"What are you feeding her?"

"Pretty much the same thing that Ratchet has in those containers. Its a special mixture of energon and nutrients for a newborn sparkling. It'll change as she gets older." She held up her other wrist. "I have a tube in each wrist that she can eat from."

"Will she always wake up crying like she has so far?" Optimus found Hope's screams to be startling every time they happened, and he was surprised that such a small creature could make such a loud noise.

"Probably not," Arcee laughed. "She's just not used to being out here in the world. She'll adjust - she just needs time." Hope made gurgling noises as she finished eating, and Arcee closed up the panel in her wrist. She handed the now content sparkling to her father.

Optimus smiled as he took his daughter from her mother. "I do know how she likes to be held," he said as he settled Hope against his chest. She snuggled closer as her optics drifted back shut. "Is she supposed to sleep this much?"

"Yes," Arcee answered. "She will sleep less as she gets older, but for now, she will sleep a lot."

"You should sleep too," Optimus said as he leaned over and kissed her forehead. "It will be morning soon, and everyone is going to want to meet her. Jack was especially worried about you yesterday."

"Are you sure you're ok with her?"

"Yes," he said as he smiled at his sleeping daughter. "I'll wake you if she needs you. Goodnight, Arcee."

Arcee mumbled something that was probably "goodnight, Optimus," but she was too far asleep for him to actually hear the words.

* * *

Smokescreen arrived back at the base earlier than normal. The humans, especially Jack, were anxious to get back and see Arcee and the new sparkling. Even June was with them, not being needed at the hospital until later in the day.

"Too many visitors at once will scare her," said Ratchet. "Jack, June, go on in."

One or two at a time, all of the members of their family met the newest among them. Hope stared with wide optics at all of them, taking everything in. She seemed especially fascinated by the humans, wanting to hold on to them. June and Arcee had a long discussion about how sparklings and infants were very similar, but still very different. Jack left before they got too far into it - there were some things that he just didn't want to know. Miko wanted details that Arcee didn't want to give, and referred her questions to Ratchet.

* * *

"Are you sure you don't want to stay here another night?" Ratchet asked, worried for the safety of both Arcee and Hope, after the ordeal of her delivery.

"I'll wear a monitor if you want me to, Ratchet, but I'm sleeping in my bed tonight," was Arcee's answer. "You'll be right down the hall if we need you."

"True enough." Ratchet said. "Alright. But if  _anything_  is the slightest bit off, I want to know about it."

"Yes, Ratchet," Arcee said as Optimus helped her to stand and picked up Hope.

"And keep your hands off each other!" Ratchet called after them. "Arcee needs time to heal!"

"Yes, Ratchet," Optimus said.

"Spoilsport" Arcee whispered to her mate, laughing.

* * *

Hope laid between her parents in their bed, making soft sounds and holding their fingers in her hands. She could feel the love that they shared with each other through their bond, and it made her feel content and safe. Her bond with her parents was not as developed, but she could feel the love that they had for her. Her optics drifted closed as her parents continued to stare into each other's optics.

Arcee moved the sleeping sparkling to the crib that was attached to her side of the bed, then laid back down with Optimus. "Do you really think she's destined to end the war?"

"I do not know, but whatever her purpose in life is, I am glad that we created her."

"She's so innocent. I don't want her to know what war is like," Arcee said sadly.

"I would not wish the realities of war on anyone," said Optimus, "but we cannot prevent her from fulfilling her destiny, if she is indeed meant to end the war."

"I know. I just want her to be safe."

* * *

Arcee laid her two week old daughter in her crib after feeding her, and crawled into her sparkmate's arms. She wasn't ready to sleep though. She kissed him deeply, running her fingers over his chest and tracing the seams in his metal skin that marked his chestplates. Optimus gave in to her kisses, enjoying touching her as well. But then he groaned and pulled away.

"Arcee, are you sure-"

"Ratchet said it was ok," she answered. "We just need to take precautions so we don't create another sparkling."

"But-"

Arcee put a finger over his lips to stop him from talking and looked into his optics. "I need to merge with you," she whispered. "We haven't, since-"

"Since we created Hope." he finished for her, his spark surging with desire for hers. "I need you too," he whispered, "if you're sure it's safe."

"It is."

He smiled as he kissed her again.

* * *

"Shhh," Optimus whispered to his 3 month old daughter as he picked her up out of her crib. "Mommy is still sleeping." The sparkling giggled and smiled at her father, wiggling around to get comfortable in his arms.

"Well, if you don't want to sleep any longer, we'll go out so Mommy can rest," he said as he left a message so Arcee wouldn't worry. He was glad that her link with the sparkling had finally faded to a regular parental bond, and neither's life was endangered by being separated. He walked out into the command center of the base, checked the time, and decided to take his daughter up to the roof to watch the sunrise.

He sat down on the edge of the cliff, facing the east, and held Hope securely against his chest. This planet that he protected was astonishingly beautiful at times. It had been awhile since he had watched the sunrise, but he was glad to be able to share this one with his daughter. He watched her face as she smiled with delight, and he whispered to her that she was more beautiful than anything on this planet, or on their homeworld.

He heard the elevator as it rose to the roof, and recognized Arcee's footsteps as she walked up behind him. She sat beside him, and he wrapped an arm around her, pulling her close. He smiled, happy to be spending this time with the two most important femmes in his life.

* * *

"My daughter"

"We did as you asked"

"Yes"

"We created a child"

"Yes"

"How is a sparkling supposed to end a war?"

"Your child possesses great powers. You and your mate must teach her to use them for good."

"What kind of powers?"

"They will become clear as she grows older."

"How will they help her to end the war?"

"When the time is right, she will know what to do."

"Will she be safe?"

"Always."

* * *

Smokescreen held six month old Hope in the command center of the base, lightly bouncing the sparkling on his knee as he had a conversation with Raf. He had been enlisted as sparkling sitter while Arcee picked Jack up from work. He didn't mind - he loved spending time with the tiny little femme who had quickly learned that everyone on the base would do just about anything for her. It fell to her parents, and occasionally Ratchet, to tell her no, because no one else could resist her.

Hope clicked and struggled in Smokescreen's arms, so he walked over to the blanket and toys that had taken up residence in one corner of the command center, and sat with her there.

Hope sat on the blanket and looked around, Smokescreen was distracted by something the humans were doing, and she wanted a toy on the other side of the area that had become hers. She knew she could get Smokescreen's attention, and he would get it for her, but she decided to see if she could get it on her own. As she thought about it, the toy moved across the room and landed in her hand.

Hope didn't know how that happened, but she wasn't old enough to realize it was unusual. She played with the toy for awhile, looked at Smokescreen, who was still distracted, spotted another object across the room that she wanted, and it moved to her hands.

This time she giggled, and Smokescreen looked at her. "Where did you get that, Hope? That's not a toy." He took the object - one of Ratchet's tools - from her and sat it aside, then watched in amazement as the tool moved back to Hope.

Hope giggled. Smokescreen didn't. "Ratchet?"

"She's just a sparkling, Smokescreen, you've watched her before."

"Yeah, but she didn't didn't have the ability to move objects across the room last time I watched her."

"She did what?!"

"She was playing with this tool," he said as he held it up. "I took it away and, and she made it move back to her hands."

"That's not possible," Ratchet said. "You should always check her play area before you put her in it, Smokescreen, although I would like to know who put one of my tools there."

"Watch." Smokescreen put the tool down on one side of the blanket, and Hope on the other. She didn't go for the tool, but instead one of her toys, which had been in a storage bin, moved to her hand.

"I'll see how long until Optimus or Arcee gets back. You keep an eye on her."

* * *

"Do you think that's what she meant by 'powers?'"

"Perhaps"

"Do you think she'll have more?"

"Perhaps"

"Can you say anything else?" Arcee laughed as she turned to look at Optimus.

"Yes" he replied, his eyes sparkling. "What Hope demonstrated today is most likely a power that will aid her in whatever she is to do to end the war. Whether or not she will gain more remains to be seen." His gaze softened as he laid a hand on her shoulder. "We have to trust that everything will happen in its own time. And we have to trust that she will remain safe."

"I know. It's just hard to do that when it's our daughter we're talking about."

* * *

Miko watched one year old Hope as she played in the fence that had been erected in one corner of the base's command center. Bulkhead stood nearby and was officially in charge of the sparkling, but Miko enjoyed watching Hope explore her environment.

Thunder shook the base as it stormed outside, but the noise didn't frighten Hope or those watching her. No one noticed that the vibrations had shaken loose some screws until a beam tumbled down, directly toward Miko and Hope.

"Look out!" yelled Bulkhead as he dove to catch the beam. It narrowly missed both of his charges.

"Thanks, Bulk," said Miko, as she stood up, then stopped suddenly and stared at Hope. "What the…?" Hope was surrounded by a softly glowing blue light. "Bulkhead, do you see that?" she whispered.

"Yeah, I see it. No idea what it is though," he replied. "Ratchet?"

"I see it too," said Ratchet said as he walked up behind Bulkhead. "It appears to be some type of forcefield. Did the beam fall on her?" The forcefield was rapidly fading around Hope, who was playing unfazed.

"No," said Miko. "Bulkhead caught it. Otherwise she and I would have both been toast."

"Optimus, Arcee," Ratchet said into his comm. "Return to base."

* * *

"I guess we can be sure she'll always be safe now," Arcee said as she watched the security video of the day's events, her daughter sleeping contently in her arms.

"Ratchet cannot determine where the forcefield gets it's power supply, but he thinks it may be unlimited."

"Like I said, she'll always be safe. She might be safely locked in a cell forever, but no one will be able to harm her."

* * *

Two year old Hope sat playing in the middle of the command center. The fence that had been erected to keep her safe was long gone - she could climb it easily. She had proven that she could go wherever she wanted to go, and her forcefield kept her safe when she accidentally fell. No one had stepped on her, but Ratchet, at least, was confident that the forcefield would keep her safe if someone did.

"Arcee!" Ratchet called with annoyance in his voice, "can you take whatever is making that racket away from her?" Hope was making very loud clicking and screeching sounds with a new toy.

"Where did she get this?" Arcee asked as she held up the toy. It was a sheet of metal with many moving parts, all of which made lots of noise when they were manipulated. Arcee had never seen it before.

"I have no idea, but please, take it away!" said Ratchet. "I can't hear myself think with that noise. It's almost as bad as when Miko used to play that infernal noise she called 'music.'"

Arcee handed Hope a quieter toy, then walked over to Ratchet with the noisy one. "I'd still like to know where she got this. We've been careful not to give her items that are too loud."

Hope giggled, and began making loud clicking and screeching sounds again. Ratchet looked over at her. "Who in their right mind would give her two identical, loud toys?!"

Arcee wondered as well, but she took the toy away again, replacing it with a different, quieter toy. As she watched her daughter play, there was suddenly a soft glowing light in her hands, and the quiet toy turned into yet another copy of the same loud metal toy. "Um, Ratchet? Did you see that?"

"See what?"

"She just turned one toy into another copy of this one," Arcee said, not really believing it herself.

"Arcee, that's impossible-" Ratchet started, then paused as she placed a third identical toy next to the first two.

"Watch." Arcee placed another quiet toy in Hope's hands. Hope clicked defiantly at her mother, then the soft glowing light appeared again, and suddenly she was making loud screeching sounds with a fourth identical toy.

"Thats….not….possible…" Ratchet mumbled to himself, as he looked Arcee. The disbelief in his optics mirrored her own.

"Optimus?" Arcee called. "You need to see this."

* * *

"I want see Jack!" declared three year old Hope for the fifth time that morning. She was accustomed to Jack being at the base every day, working on his classes remotely, but he had had to travel to his university for some exams this week.

"Jack will be back in a few days, sweetspark," Arcee tried to console her. "And Miko and Raf will be here this afternoon."

"Jack!" Hope said again. The toy in her hand glowed and became a shirt, the same as the one Jack usually wore. She looked at it, then threw it aside.

"You can't create Jack, Hope," Arcee said gently. "You'll have to wait for him to come back."

"Jack!" she said again, louder. She had nothing in her hands this time, but suddenly she was holding his backpack.

"I'm sorry, sweetspark, but he's gone for a few days." Arcee wasn't certain how she had created Jack's backpack - she had always turned something else into whatever she wanted before. She made a mental note to observe and see if her daughter's power of creation was growing stronger.

"Jack!" Hope said again, loudly, and suddenly, Jack was sitting beside her.

Jack looked at Hope and Arcee. "Well, that was unexpected. How did I get here?" Jack had long ago ceased being surprised by things that happened on the base and around the autobots, particularly Hope, but this was new.

"Good question, Jack," said Arcee. "Hope, what did you do?" She wondered if she could really get an answer out of the three year old.

"Wanted Jack! Got him!" Hope grinned at her mother, then wrapped her arms around her favorite human.

"Optimus?" called Arcee. "We have a problem." She turned to Jack. "Were you alone?"

"Yes, I was in my hotel room," he answered. "Smokescreen is going to be confused."

"Ratchet will send you back so you don't miss your exam."

"What is the problem, Arcee?" asked Optimus. "Hello, Jack. I thought you were away for the week?"

"He was," answered Arcee. "Our daughter didn't like that idea, so she brought him back."

"How?"

"That's what we would like to know." Jack answered. "I was sitting in my hotel room, studying. My backpack disappeared, then suddenly I was here."

"Interesting," said Optimus. "Apparently, she has the power to teleport both objects and living beings." Optimus picked up his daughter and brought her up to his optic level. "Hope, I need you to send Jack back where he was."

"NO! My Jack!"

"Hope, you have great powers, but you must learn to use them for the good of others, not just for what you want. Jack will be back in a few days, and then he will be happy to spend time with you. You need to send him back where he was, and then we will practice your new power."

"My Jack…." Hope whimpered.

"Hope…" her father said warningly.

"Bye, Jack" Hope said sadly as she sent him and his backpack back to his hotel room.

"Arcee, contact Jack and ensure he arrived safely."

Arcee called Jack using her internal comm system, then turned back to Optimus. "He did."

"Thank you," Optimus said to his sparkmate. "Now, Hope, let's go back to the training room and see what we can do with your new power."

"Ok, Daddy." Hope said from her perch on in her father's hand. "Jack?"

"No, sweetspark, Jack needs to stay where he is." Optimus replied patiently.

"Smoke?"

"Smokescreen must remain with Jack."

"Bee!"

"Ok, we'll contact Bumblebee and see if he is available for our training." Optimus's voice faded as he and Hope reached the training rooms. Arcee smiled. Sometimes, she didn't know how her sparkmate kept his patience with their daughter.

* * *

"My daughter"

"You're not my mommy"

"All of our species are my children"

"Who are you?"

"I am Solus Prime"

"Where am I?"

"Your body lies in your bed, near your parents"

"But where is this?"

"This is a representation of my temple"

"Why am I here?"

"You have a destiny to fulfill"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A note about timing & the humans - it was about 3 years from the time Optimus and Arcee decided to create a sparkling until she was born. So imagine that the last chapter and the beginning of this one happen during the summer after Jack's freshman year of college, and Miko & Rafael's senior year of high school. This chapter covers 4 years -there are no humans in the last scene, but when it occurs, Jack has finished his first year as an official government employee/adviser, and Miko & Raf have just graduated college and are starting their official jobs.


	16. Destiny

"My daughter"

"You're not my mommy"

"All of our species are my children"

"Who are you?"

"I am Solus Prime"

"Where am I?"

"Your body lies in your bed, near your parents"

"But where is this?"

"This is a representation of my temple"

"Why am I here?"

"You have a destiny to fulfill"

* * *

Four year old Hope woke up screaming. Her parents were at her side immediately, having felt her terror in the bond they shared with her.

"What happened, sweetspark?" Optimus asked

"I had a weird dream," Hope whimpered against her father's chest. "I was…..somewhere else. A…... lady called me her daughter, but she….she wasn't mommy. She said….she said something about destiny, then I woke up."

Optimus' optics met Arcee's over the top of Hope's head, both realizing immediately what she must have seen. "It's ok, sweetspark," whispered Arcee. "You can sleep with us tonight, and we'll talk about it in the morning."

* * *

Once they were certain that Hope was finally asleep in their arms, Arcee regretfully whispered to Optimus "I thought she'd have more time."

Optimus had wrapped his arms around both of them. His grip tightened slightly as he replied. "I thought so as well. But whatever she saw, we must remember that this is her destiny, and she can protect herself."

"I know. It's just so hard. She's still so young."

* * *

Hope woke up first. She remembered the dream she had the night before, but it wasn't so scary now that it was morning. It also helped that she was snuggled up in her parents' arms. She hadn't slept with them in a long time, and she had forgotten how much she enjoyed it.

She looked at her parents. They were still sleeping. She knew she couldn't just get up on her own, not after the way she had woken up last night. If she had slept in her own room, she would have run in here and jumped on them to wake them up. They usually weren't really sleeping then though, at least her daddy wasn't. She checked the time and realized that it was earlier than her usual wake up time.

She laid back down and thought over her dream. She had never seen any cybertronians other than her parents and the members of their team. She knew others existed, and she knew who the Primes were, thanks to lessons from her dad. It was really strange to dream about them though. Nothing had happened in the previous few days that might have caused what she saw in her dream.

She checked the time again. It was still early, but she thought she would be forgiven for waking them up earlier than normal. She rolled towards her daddy and tickled his side. His reaction was immediate - she found herself rolled onto her back with him tickling her mercilessly before she could even blink. "Daddy!" she managed to squeak out between fits of laughter.

"Good morning, Hope," Optimus said as he smiled at his daughter and stopped tickling her.

"Morning, Daddy," she replied after she managed to stop laughing. "I remember my dream," she said, sobering the mood quickly.

"We should wake your mother up before we talk," Optimus said. "Do you want to do it, or should I?" He hoped that she would want to wake Arcee herself, because if he did it, his sparkmate was likely to knock him down and try to start something they didn't want their daughter to witness.

"I'll do it!" she replied, grinning at him. "Mommy." she whispered, right next to her mother's ear. She had learned that tickling her mother was a bad idea. "Mommy, wake up!" she said, a little louder.

"Mmmmm," Arcee said as she rolled over and gathered Hope into her arms. "Goodnight, sweetspark."

Hope laughed. "No, Mommy! It's good morning time!"

Arcee opened her optics and smiled at her daughter. "Well good morning, then."

Hope smiled, but it quickly disappeared. "I remember my dream."

"Tell us what you saw," Arcee said, already knowing the answer. Hope's panicked descriptions from the night before were similar to Arcee's vision that resulted the decision to create Hope.

"I opened my optics in a huge metal temple. It was so dark and scary. There was a lady there. She called me her daughter, and said her name was Solus Prime and that we were in her temple. I asked her what she wanted, and she said I had a destiny to fulfill. Then everything went black. I felt like I was falling." She looked back and forth between her parents.

Optimus looked into Arcee's optics for a long moment before he spoke. "We chose not to burden you with knowing your destiny until we decided you were old enough. We weren't even certain that it would ever come to pass. It seems now that it will, and the choice of when to tell you of it has been taken from us."

Arcee took over from there. "About 7 years ago, I began having visions of Solus Prime. She told me that your father and I needed to create a child - a child who would end the war and bring peace. We had chosen not to create a child until the war was over, but because of that vision, we made the decision to create you."

Hope was doing her best not to be frightened by her parents' words, but without her father's strong arms around her, she would have been panicking. "What if….what if I… I…. I can't do it?" she said, barely holding back her tears.

Arcee held her daughter tight, and Optimus wrapped his arms around them both. "You can do anything you choose to do, Hope," he said. "And the powers you've been working so hard to refine are most certainly part of the plan. But remember, you always have a choice. No one will force you to do anything you don't want to do."

Too many thoughts ran through Hope's head for her to formulate a reply to her father. She clung to both of her parents as she fought back the panic and eventually fell back to sleep. Optimus placed a gentle kiss on her forehead and another on Arcee's lips. "Stay with her," he whispered to his sparkmate. "She needs one of us to be here when she wakes up again."

* * *

"Mommy?" Hope whispered when she woke up awhile later.

Arcee's optics opened immediately. She could tell that something was really bothering her daughter. "Yes, sweetspark?"

"Would you have created me, if it wasn't to end the war?"

"Oh, Hope," Arcee said with tears in her optics. "Yes, sweetspark, yes, absolutely. We wanted you - I wanted you - before the visions even started. The visions were a catalyst to start trying to create you, but they had nothing to do with  _wanting_  you."

"I love you, Mommy."

"I love you too, Hope."

* * *

"Come on, Daddy!" Hope said quietly as she lost patience with her father. They were supposed to be practicing her powers, and she had something new she wanted to try today. She couldn't keep from saying the words, but she did say them low enough that he wouldn't hear her. She knew that whatever he was talking to Smokescreen and Bumblebee about was important, but she was anxious to get started.

Optimus could feel his daughter's impatience, but he wouldn't let her know that he heard the words she tried to hide from him. "Thank you for waiting, Hope," he said as he approached her. "You said you had an idea you wanted to try today?"

"Yes, Daddy," she said as she hopped into his hand. "Can I show you?"

"Certainly, sweetspark."

"Close your optics, Daddy," she said as she closed hers. There was no sensation at all when she teleported them, but both could feel the change around them. Although the base had been quiet, the absolute absence of sound now made it seem noisy. "Ok Daddy, open your optics."

Optimus opened his optics and looked around, surprised. HIs sensors immediately told him that they were on Earth's moon. All of the places they had transported to before today had been on Earth. He found himself wondering just how far her powers could go. "How did you know you could bring us here?"

"I didn't," Hope replied as she smiled up at her father. "I just had a feeling that I needed to try." Her smiled suddenly fell. "Are you mad at me?"

Optimus raised her up to his optic level. "Absolutely not, sweetspark. Your feelings and instincts are important, and you should always follow them. I'm just surprised because I didn't expect to end up off of the planet."

"I think we can go further," Hope said, grinning at her father. "But this was the closest place I knew to try."

"Bring us back to the base, and then we'll see where else you can go from there, " Optimus replied. "We left all of our test objects behind."

"Ok, Daddy," Hope said as she closed her optics. A moment later, the noises from the base surrounded them once again.

Optimus set his daughter down in the training area of the base and she surveyed the array of objects they used for practicing her powers. The objects had changed over the past 2 years, as she used her power of creation to turn them into other things. She picked up a box of metal and plastic, and Optimus attached a tracking device to it. "Send it first, then we'll go and see if it's there."

"Ok. Where should I send it?"

"Where ever you want, sweetspark. How far do you think it can go?"

Hope grinned at her father. "Pretty far," she said, as the box disappeared.

Her mother's mischievousness has worn off on her, Optimus thought as he watched the box disappear. He could feel it. "Where did you send it, Hope?"

"Come and see," she said, still grinning. She closed her optics, and she and her father both disappeared. Again, there was a distinct lack of noise around them when she opened her optics. The red dust surrounding them told her that she had succeeded in taking them to Mars.

Optimus hadn't closed his optics this time - Hope had forgotten to tell him to - and his sensors told him that they were on Mars before she even opened hers. "This is definitely far," he said to his daughter. "Can you bring one of the other objects from the training room here too?"

She closed her optics, and one of her toys appeared beside them. "Can I bring Mommy?"

"You must ask her first."

"Does our comm system work this far?"

"I do not believe it has been tested this far, but it is based on Cybertronian technology, not Human, so it should work."

"Mommy?" Hope said into the private comm she had with her mother.

"Yes sweetspark? Where are you?" Arcee replied. Her daughter was hiding something, she was sure of it.

"It's a surprise. Do you want to come?"

"Of course. I'm on base, so you can bring me now."

* * *

"Her powers are getting stronger," Arcee said after she had tucked Hope into bed for the night.

"Perhaps," Optimus replied. "Or perhaps she is simply getting braver in testing them. It is possible that she had not transported so far before just because she had never tried."

"It scares me, how brave she is; how powerful she is."

"You are her mother. You will always fear for her safety. So will I. But it gives me comfort to see her learning to use her powers; to know that she has had no issues with controlling them. She has had no visions recently, but every day, the time for her to fulfill her destiny grows closer."

"I still have no idea how she's supposed to end this war, but I just want it to be over so I can stop worrying about our little girl," Arcee said as she settled into bed next to Optimus.

"As do I," he replied. He could feel Arcee's confusion, fear, and worry for their daughter through their bond - and his feelings were much the same - but he did know one way to settle both of their emotions. He rolled onto his side and leaned over to kiss her. "Merge with me?" he whispered when they broke the kiss several minutes later.

"Anytime," she said, smiling, as she pulled him back down for another kiss.

* * *

"My daughter"

"I know who you are now"

"I am glad"

"I'm not afraid of you"

"It was never my intention to frighten you"

"What do you want from me?"

"You have a destiny to fulfill"

"I know. But how am I supposed to end the war?"

"Come with me and I will show you"

* * *

"Hope?" Arcee said as she entered her 5 year old daughter's room. "It's past time to get up, sweetspark." Arcee turned on the light at the same time she realized that something was very wrong. Hope lay still on her bed, looking like she was sleeping. But Arcee couldn't feel anything through the bond she shared with her. "Optimus!" she called as she touched her daughter's chest. She was thankful to feel that her spark was still pulsing, but something was most definitely wrong.

Optimus felt nothing but panic flood through his link with Arcee. He met her in the hallway as she brought their daughter to Ratchet. "Arcee, what is wrong?"

"I don't know, but I can't  _feel_  her. Can you?" Her optics pleaded with him to say yes.

"No, I cannot." He stood back as Arcee laid Hope on the berth in the medbay and Ratchet activated his scanners.

"She is alive," was the first thing Ratchet said, "and she is not in stasis." He ran several more scans, then turned to her very worried parents. "She is simply sleeping, very very deeply. She may be experiencing another vision."

"Can you tell how long she's been out?" Arcee asked. She felt terrible that she hadn't checked on Hope earlier, deciding to just let her sleep a little longer.

"No," Ratchet said as he ran more scans. "She is adding information to her databanks at an astounding rate," he said in surprise.

"What does that mean?" Optimus asked.

"She's learning, but whatever it is, we will have to wait for her to wake up and tell us to find out."


	17. Destiny, part 2

Several hours later, Arcee stood beside Hope, who was still unconscious, and held one of her hands. Optimus was across the room, talking to Ratchet. Both immediately noticed when they could sense their daughter again, and were looking intently at her face when she suddenly opened her optics.

"How are you feeling?" Optimus asked as he helped her sit up. Ratchet took several different scans as Hope spoke with her parents.

"I'm fine, Daddy," she answered. "I had another vision. I know what I have to do end the war."

"Can you tell us about it?" Arcee asked.

"I will. But I need to think about it more first," Hope replied. "Is that ok?"

"Yes, of course, sweetspark," Optimus said. "But remember that we're always here and ready to listen, when you want to talk."

"Thanks, Daddy," Hope said, and smiled at him. "Do you have time to help me practice something new?"

"Absolutely," Optimus answered. "Ratchet?"

"She's fine. Just had a good night's sleep."

"Come on, Daddy!" Hope said as she jumped off the berth.

* * *

"She wanted to practice transporting behind a cloak," Optimus said as he and Arcee settled down to sleep that night. "I made her promise not to attempt to visit the Nemesis without informing us first."

The shock and fear that Arcee felt at that statement showed in her optics as well as in their bond. "She can't go there alone!"

"She may have to," Optimus replied as he pulled her into a comforting hug. "And I am glad that she is practicing now, rather than just assuming she can do it on the first try." He smiled. "She did, however, succeed on her first try today."

"How did you practice with her?" she asked, even as her hands started teasing the center seam of his chest where she knew he was most sensitive.

"I had Boulder and Heatwave set up a modulating cloak in the firehouse in Griffon Rock," he paused to run his fingertips along her bare abdomen, making her shudder. "Blades was particularly happy to visit with Hope before she transported back."

"I bet he was," Arcee laughed as she flipped onto her back, pulling Optimus down for a kiss that ended all conversation for awhile.

* * *

"Come with me, my daughter"

"Where are we going?"

"I will aid you in the first step. Your body will not leave your bed."

"I'm ready"

* * *

Hope looked around the strange place that she materialized in. She could not see Solus, but she could feel that the ancient Prime was still with her. In front of her was a silver mech, bigger than her father, with sharp edges to his armor. She hid the terror she felt by reminding herself that she wasn't really there. She knew who he was, and she knew what she had to do. She waited patiently until he noticed her. He didn't question how she got into his dream. She wondered if he would know that she really existed.

"Who are you?"

"I am Hope"

"Hope? What kind of name is that?"

"I am hope for the future of this planet, and our own"

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"I will end this war. How I do so is up to you."

"I don't understand."

"What are you fighting for?"

"Control of this planet. Control of Cybertron. Control of the universe."

"You cannot control the universe. It is far too vast."

"There's still plenty that I can control."

"If Cybertron were restored, would you be willing to live in peace?"

"As ruler"

"What would it take for you to stop fighting?"

"Stop fighting?  _Stop fighting?_  Nothing will stop me from destroying Optimus Prime and all of his followers. Then, I will take the Matrix of Leadership and my rightful place as Prime and leader of all of our kind."

"Is there any other way?"

"No."

Megatron woke from the strangest dream he had ever had. Not that he dreamed often, but he had never seen a sparkling in a dream before. The dream troubled him. There was something familiar about the sparkling, but he hadn't seen a living sparkling in ages. He didn't know if his species even had the ability to reproduce that way any longer. Sparklings were common before the war began, but he didn't believe any had been created after the fighting started.

In any case, it was just a dream. He put it out of his head and checked the time. It was early, but he didn't want to risk dreaming of the troubling sparkling again, so he headed to the bridge of his ship anyway.

* * *

"You did well, my daughter"

"Thank you"

"This is only the beginning"

"I know"

* * *

Reaching out through her parental bond with Hope had become second nature to Arcee. A simple check, several times each day as well as when she woke up and before going to sleep, assure her that her daughter was safe. And that her consciousness was still in the base, and not out who knows where. Nothing was different this morning. She woke up, assured herself that Hope was safe, and reported for duty in the command center. Optimus had already been up for several hours, and Hope would awaken shortly.

All three of their human partners were on base this morning, for a briefing with Optimus and Agent Fowler. Hope would be happy to see Jack, who was still her favorite human. He had been gone for several weeks.

Arcee checked in with Optimus and spoke to Jack, Miko, and Raf for a few moments before heading back to her daughter's room. Agent Fowler was running late, so Hope would be able to spend some time with Jack before the briefing.

"Good morning, sweetspark!" she said cheerfully. Hope did not like waking up in the morning, although she would happily stay awake until very late at night. "Someone's here that you're going to want to see!"

"Mommy?" Hope's voice sounded odd to Arcee.

"Yes, Hope?"

"I need to talk to Daddy."

Uncertainty was what Arcee was sensing. Something had happened while Hope slept. She quickly sent a message to Optimus. "He's on his way, sweetspark," she said as she sat down and hugged her daughter.

Optimus arrived within moments, and his daughter practically launched herself into his arms. He sat down with her, beside Arcee, as she sobbed into his shoulder. She choked out what had happened between sobs, eventually getting to the part that had her scared so badly - what Megatron had said about her father.

"Hope, Megatron and I have been fighting for thousands of years," Optimus said. "He has never succeeded in extinguishing my spark, and I do not believe he will do so anytime soon. He has always sought the Matrix of Leadership, but it will not reveal itself to one who is not worthy. Do not let his words cause fear."

"I won't let him hurt you, Daddy," Hope said, with a newfound steel in her voice. "I want to end the war before he can hurt anyone else."

"Do not rush these events, Hope. We are all part of a greater plan, and we cannot force things to happen before they are meant to."

* * *

Hope ran from her room to the command center as soon as her mother told her who was there. Arcee called "walking feet!" after her, but it didn't slow her down. She did not throw herself at Jack - she was almost as big as him now, and she didn't want to hurt him. Still, she was very excited to spend a few minutes with her favorite human before his briefing with her father.

"Hello, Hope!" Jack laughed as she tried to pick him up - she was just barely strong enough to get his feet off the ground.

"I missed you, Jack!" she exclaimed as she let go. "Are you staying?"

"Just for today," he replied. "I have to get back to DC for another week. But Raf and Miko are staying, and I'll be back for a while starting next week."

Jack thought that he would never get used to seeing a robot pout. The look on Hope's face was enough to make him want to cancel his next week away, but he knew the work he was doing was too important to skip. "I'll have a few hours after the briefing. We can play then. Deal?"

"Deal." Hope replied with a grin.

* * *

"Does it make you angry when things seem to be taken out of our hands?" Arcee asked in their quarters that night.

Optimus could tell that she was most definitely angry. She was confused and afraid as well, but anger was the most prominent feeling. Fortunately, he knew how to calm her emotions down. "Who are you angry with?" he asked, as his fingers touched the metal skin over her spark.

She shoved his hands away, not wanting to be calm. "The Ancient Primes. Solus Prime. Whoever took our daughter to the decepticon warship and didn't bother to ask us first."

"Hope has the right to make that decision for herself. I don't believe she would have been taken against her will." His patience only seemed to anger her more.

"She's 5! She doesn't get to decide for herself yet!" She punched the wall, which was made of stone; it hurt her hand more than anything else.

Optimus knelt and pulled Arcee into a hug, then pressed his forehead against hers - a comforting gesture that allowed them to look deeply into each other's optics. "We gave our permission by creating her."

"But we had no way to know it would be this soon. That she would be so young!" Arcee tried her best to hold onto her anger, but already she was losing herself in her sparkmate's optics. He always knew exactly what to do to help her get herself under control.

Sensing she was calmer, he loosened his hold on her arms and again placed his hand over her spark. "I know it is difficult. But we have both seen her competently use her powers. I do not believe she has been, or will be, in any danger."

"I hope you're right," she said as she gave in to the merge that her spark desperately needed.

* * *

Hope steeled herself for the next step in the process of ending the war. She knew she couldn't be hurt, but that didn't stop the giant silver mech she needed to confront again from being frightening. It was important that she not show her fear to him.

Before she could even go, she needed to tell someone what she was doing. Disappearing without a trace would put the entire base on high alert and send her parents out searching in panic. She wouldn't make that mistake, especially not with her intended destination.

Mommy or Daddy? Who would take it better? Mommy would probably forbid her to go. Daddy would too, but he would understand once she explained. Decision made, she found her father.

"Daddy?"

"Hello, sweetspark," Optimus said, as he turned around to look at her with a smile. His optics shined with the love he felt for her, and it helped her to feel brave.

"I have to confront him again, Daddy, in person this time" she said, and the smile disappeared from his face. "I'll be back soon, and I'll be ok, but I have to do it now."

"Are you certain?" was all he said, but she could see the fear in his optics.

"Yes."

He knelt and gathered her into his arms. "I love you, Hope," he said, and she was glad that he hadn't argued with her. "I would like you to set a timer. Leave, no matter what, after….10 minutes?"

"I can do that," she said, and smiled at him.

She set her timer and knew he did the same, then she closed her optics.

She reappeared on the Nemesis, several feet behind Megatron. She scanned the room quickly - no one else was present.

"Are you still certain there is no peaceful way to end this war?" she said, to start the conversation. She wanted this over quickly, and she wanted him to think she wasn't really there, until he checked the sensor logs later.

He flinched slightly, barely noticeable She had startled him…. _startled him!_  That was good. She needed to keep him rattled, keep him guessing. When he spoke, it wasn't to her, it was to himself. "I must have Knock Out or Soundwave determine what is causing these visions."

"Your refusal to leave this planet in peace and consider a peaceful end to this war has caused this." No need to imply that she was or wasn't a vision.

He turned suddenly and towered over her. Inside, she quaked in fear, but she didn't let it show. She kept reminding herself that she could leave instantly if she needed to as she stared into his furious optics with her calm ones. "What do you want?" he roared.

"I want a peaceful end to this war. I will, however, ensure that there is an end, whether peaceful or not."

"I will control this planet. I will destroy Optimus Prime and his followers. You cannot stop me."

"I can, and I will," was all she said in reply. Her timer silently went off, and she brought herself back to her father's arms.

"How did it go?" Optimus asked immediately. Hope could feel his relief, even though he knew she was protected.

"Good." She smiled. "I think I scared him."

"Megatron does not scare easily."

"He's worried though. He doesn't like it when someone doesn't show fear of him. Especially someone little like me."

"Do you fear him?"

"Yes," her voice broke. "But I made sure he couldn't see it."

"I am proud of you, Hope," Optimus whispered into her ear. "And I wish you didn't have to carry this burden. Know that I am always here for you."

"I know, Daddy," she said through her tears. "But this is what I was created for. It's my destiny."

"I love you, sweetspark," Optimus said as he hugged her again. "Come, I want Ratchet to examine you."

* * *

"Good Morning, Hope!" Arcee said cheerfully as she woke her daughter up in the morning. She knew that she was there and safe, but still always worried about what might have happened while she slept.

This morning, like most mornings, Hope woke up slowly. She and mornings did not get along well at all. "Five more minutes, please?" she asked, in what she knew was her cutest voice.

"Nope, not today, sweetspark," Arcee answered. "I have a surprise for you."

Hope perked up a little at that. "Jack?" she asked.

"Jack's still here, but he's not your surprise."

Hope was awake now, sitting up and grinning at her mother. "Then what is it?" she asked in an excited voice.

"You'll have to come with me to find out."

True to her word, Arcee didn't say a thing about where they were going. Once they reached the command center, Ratchet activated the groundbridge, and they walked through.

Hope knew where they were as soon as they emerged on the other side. "Wayward Island! I love it here, Mommy!"

"I know, sweetspark. I thought you'd like to play in the snow." Arcee looked around, spotted their guests, and waved them over.

"Cody! Frankie! Blades!" Hope exclaimed, happy to see her friends. She picked up a handful of snow, made a snowball, and threw it at Blades. Soon snowballs were flying back and forth, giggles and squeals of delight filling the air.

"Thanks for inviting us. This is fun!" Frankie said to Arcee as she stopped to take a break.

"Thank you for coming. Hope needed this break," Arcee said. "She's still a sparkling. She needs to have fun." A snowball, thrown by her daughter, hit her on the side of her head, and she grinned and took off after the culprit, picking up her own snowball while in pursuit.

* * *

"Thank you for taking me on that trip, Mommy!" Hope said as her parent's tucked her into bed that night. "I had so much fun!"

"I did too, sweetspark," Arcee said, smiling as she hugged her. "And I will get you back, next time!" She was glad to see her daughter happy. The burdens she carried had taken a toll on the young girl.

Optimus smiled as well as he hugged his daughter and sparkmate. "I am glad that you both had a good time today. Blades reports that he, Cody, and Frankie did as well."

"Can we go back again soon?" Hope asked "Can Jack come?"

"I'm sure that can be arranged."

* * *

"She deserves to be a child more often," Arcee said, her anger again very apparent to her sparkmate.

"It is up to us to ensure she has that ability." Optimus said while pulling her close, pressing his forehead to hers and looking into her optics. He had grown used to calming her frayed nerves while she worried over their child.

Arcee was beginning to find Optimus' serene patience irritating. She wanted to be angry. But once again, the calm in his optics and radiating through their bond made it's way into her spark, bringing her emotions back in line. "How do you do that?"

"Do what?" he asked, smiling.

"Make me lose all of my anger like that, so quickly."

"I've had lots of practice," he whispered, just before he kissed her, running his fingers across her bare abdomen and pulling her down into the bed with him.

* * *

"My daughter"

"What do you want now?"

"To assure you that your daughter will always be safe"

"I understand that. But she's just a sparkling. She deserves to act like one. The burden we've placed on her is too heavy for a child to carry."

"She does not carry it alone. The path ahead is difficult, but it will all be over soon."

"How soon?"

"In time for her to still act like a sparkling."

"Why do you even need her? Can't you do whatever you have planned?"

"I cannot act in this realm. I did all that I could do by granting your daughter her powers before she joined you in the world."

"I see"

"Remember, she will always be safe"

* * *

"Come with me, my daughter"

"Again?"

"Yes"

"My parents worry"

"It will all be over soon"

* * *

Hope appeared on the decepticon warship, this time in the personal quarters of Megatron. He was asleep, she realized, so she wasn't physically there. He was having another vision. This time, he saw her before she spoke.

"I have determined who you are, little one."

"I never attempted to hide who I am."

"Optimus fraternized with his troops, and managed to get the femme, Arcee, sparked. It's not like him to be so careless."

"My creation was intentional. As I've said, I will end this war."

"Not if I destroy you first."

"I am not afraid of you. You cannot harm me."

"We shall see."

"There are several possible methods for me to end this war. The method I ultimately choose is up to you. I prefer a peaceful option. But if your destruction is necessary, that method is open as well."

"You cannot possibly think that you can harm me."

"We shall see."


	18. Destiny, part 3

"You wake her up"

"But-"

"No. You wake her up. She hates waking up. I'm tired of getting kicked, and you're here. You wake her up."

Optimus grinned as he kissed his sparkmate, then walked to their daughter's room. He understood how hard it was to wake up the six year old girl who hated mornings. He didn't want to be the bad guy who made her get out of her bed, which was one of the reasons he left that job to Arcee most days.

He opened the door and looked at his sleeping daughter. He knew, through his parental bond with her, that she was just sleeping, and not off showing up in the visions of their enemies. He stood well out of reach of her feet and said "Good morning, Hope."

She didn't move. He reached over and tickled her feet. She kicked, but it didn't connect. He tried again, saying "Good morning, Hope!" cheerfully.

She rolled over and mumbled something that sounded like "a few more minutes please."

"Come on, sweetspark, it's time to wake up," Optimus said as he tickled her sides. She kicked at him again, and it connected with his wrist. Arcee was right - that hurt! "Hope, you need to get up now."

"Don't wanna"

"Hope…." Optimus said with a warning in his voice.

"Please?" she replied, opening one eye to peer up at him with what she knew was her cutest look.

"Not today, sweetspark. You have plans today, remember?"

Hope pouted. "Not fun plans."

"We all have to do things that are not fun, Hope. Perhaps once your lessons are done today, you can spend some time with Jack or Miko."

"Ok, that might be fun."

* * *

"She has your determination." Optimus said as he wrapped his arms around his sparkmate.

Arcee laughed. "Fortunately, she has your patience."

They both watched as their daughter sparred with a training drone, under Bulkhead's supervision. Suddenly she got frustrated at not landing a punch, and sent the training drone flying into the wall without actually touching it. Optimus laughed quietly, not letting his daughter see his amusement. "Sometimes," he said quietly so that only Arcee would hear him.

Bulkhead gently reprimanded the girl for using her powers when they were supposed to be training her to fight without them, as she turned the broken trainer into a brand new one. Her parents noticed the look in her optics as she turned it on. "Hope." her father said warningly.

"Fine," she grumbled, as she fixed the settings on the drone the way they were supposed to be.

"This type of training was your idea, sweetspark," Arcee reminded her. "But we all agree that it's a good idea."

Optimus took over. "In order for it to do you any good, you must stick to the rules."

"I know," Hope replied. "It's just hard to follow the rules when they're so easily broken."

"If you are ever facing a true enemy, there will be no rules. If you are unable to use your powers, you must know what to do."

"I know, Daddy," Hope said, resigned to try again.

* * *

"What happens if I can't do it, Mommy? What if I can't do what needs to be done to end the war?" Hope asked, worry showing clearly in her link to her mother.

Arcee pulled her daughter close. "You can do whatever you choose to do, Hope. If the war doesn't end, we will continue on just as we have been. It would be nice to live in peace on this planet, but if the war does not end, we will always be here to protect the people of this world."

Hope looked up at her mother in surprise, whispering "peace on this planet?"

"Yes," Arcee said, looking at her daughter curiously.

"Why not live in peace on our planet?" Hope asked.

Arcee's optics saddened. "Hope, I know you've learned in your lessons with your father that our planet was destroyed. We had to leave so it could heal, but it will take millennia more before life is able to return. Someday, we will live there again, but it will be a very long time from now."

"I understand now," Hope whispered to herself, grinning.

"Understand what?" Arcee asked, shocked to see her daughter smiling after discussing the current state of their dead planet.

But Hope was no longer listening to her mother. "I need to find Daddy," she said to herself, quickly telling her mother goodbye.

* * *

Arcee sent the contents of her conversation with Hope through her comm link to Optimus before the girl found him. He was glad to have some warning of what might be going on in Hope's mind, but he still didn't know what to expect when he saw her.

"Daddy?" Hope said, sounding perfectly normal.

"Yes, sweetspark?"

"I want to try to go somewhere really far away"

"Ok, are we going now?"

"Yes," Hope said. "Close your optics, Daddy."

The sounds and smells of the base disappeared. In their place, silence; the scent of death and destruction, of burning fires long since gone out. Optimus opened his optics and fell to his knees, a cry of anguish choked out of his vocal processors before he could stop it. He looked at his daughter; the fear she was feeling caused him to rapidly lock down control of his emotions. He wanted to ask her why she had brought him here, but he was afraid to allow his vocal processors to work again.

Hope saw her father's reaction and looked around. Oh. The landscape was desolate; buildings destroyed. Nearby, the Well of Allsparks stood, dark and empty. Her father had not seen their planet in person ever since he had ordered the autobots to leave. Her mother had been back, several times, but her father was seeing the completeness of the destruction for the first time. She had come here because she needed to see what Solus had been talking about, now that she understood it, but she regretted bringing her father. She should have asked someone else to come with her.

Optimus felt small arms wrapping around his leg, hugging him. "It's ok, daddy," Hope whispered, "I'm going to fix everything."

* * *

Even so far across space, Optimus' pain was gut-wrenching to Arcee. She was pacing, attempting frantically to contact him or Hope while Ratchet searched desperately to find them, when they reappeared in the base.

Arcee was running toward them both immediately, but she stopped short. Optimus' optics looked haunted, and the sadness in their bond was overwhelming to them both. She watched as he hugged Hope and she could tell he was doing his best not to cry. He set Hope on the ground and she ran to her mother, then he headed down the hall to their quarters without saying a word.

Arcee spoke softly to her daughter, who also looked stricken, although not as badly as her father, about where they had gone and what they had seen. She knew Optimus, knew he would be blaming himself. She sent Hope to Ratchet and followed her sparkmate down the hall.

She found him in their bed, lying face down, and she could tell that he had lost the fight with the tears. She wrapped her arms around him and held him as he sobbed.

"I should have found some way to stop him; to stop the destruction; to save our world!" he choked out between sobs.

"You did everything you could do. We all did. Megatron is responsible for what happened to Cybertron."

"I led us down this path!" There was anger in his voice, but it was directed at himself.

"You led us down the right path. Megatron's determination to pull us down the wrong path caused the destruction."

Optimus looked up into his sparkmate's eyes, seeing only love shining back at him. "Arcee-"

"I know. I've been there. It's hard to see. But look at the good things. We have a home here. We have a family, and I don't just mean us and our daughter. We  _have_  a daughter. Had we stayed on Cybertron, you and I wouldn't have met. Hope wouldn't exist. We'd have never met our human friends. We'd have never seen this beautiful world. And beyond that, our people would have suffered a different kind of destruction, being forced to live under the rule of a tyrant."

Optimus could see the truth in her optics and could sense it in their bond. She didn't blame him. She had seen the state of the planet firsthand and she still didn't blame him. Those thoughts alone were soothing to him. He pulled her close, burying his head in her shoulder as he finished crying and his emotions calmed somewhat. She touched his chest, wordlessly offering him the same comfort he gave her when her emotions spiraled out of control.

* * *

As soon as Ratchet had let her go, Hope headed to her parents' quarters. She knew she had made a mistake, so she didn't really want to talk to them right now. But she needed to apologize to her Daddy. She hadn't thought about his feelings when she brought him to Cybertron. She had just been excited to finally truly understand what she was going to have to do. Sometimes, Solus seemed to speak in code, and she didn't have a translator.

She quietly opened the door and looked inside. Her parents were curled up together on their bed, but only her father was sleeping. Her mother placed a finger over her lips to remind her to be quiet, then beckoned her inside.

She scrambled into her mother's arms, and Arcee pulled her close. "I'm so sorry, Mommy," she said, crying again. "I wasn't thinking."

"It's ok, sweetspark," Arcee whispered. "He's going to be ok. But why did you travel to Cybertron?"

"I needed to see something. To understand what Solus Prime has been talking about," she explained.

"And do you understand now?" Arcee asked.

"Yes." She smiled at her mother. "I'm going to fix everything."

* * *

Optimus woke up hoping that the events of the previous day had been a dream, but realized quickly that they weren't. He had known of the destruction, of course, but he hadn't seen it firsthand. Listening to a report, even seeing pictures, was entirely different from being there. He just hoped that he hadn't frightened his daughter too badly.

The last he remembered was talking to Arcee, crying in her arms, and merging with her to settle his emotions, as he usually did to settle hers. She was still asleep in his arms, but at some point, Hope had joined them. He placed his free hand over his daughter, hugging her tightly.

Wait, so Arcee beckoned hope into a family embrace while Arcee and optimus were naked post coitus?!

Hope realized she was laying on top of both of her parents as she woke up. It had been awhile since she had slept that way. She turned to look up at her father, and found herself looking into his optics.

There was no accusation of wrongdoing in his optics, but that didn't mean she hadn't done wrong. "I'm sorry, Daddy," she whispered.

"It's ok, sweetspark," he replied. "You have no control over my actions. I am sorry for not controlling my reactions myself. I hope that I didn't frighten you."

"No, Daddy, you didn't," she said. "And you have nothing to apologize for. I wasn't thinking. I wanted to understand something Solus said, and I forgot that you hadn't seen Cybertron since…"

"Since the Ark left," he finished for her. "I had not seen the extent of the destruction, although I knew of it." He paused for a few seconds, then looked at her again. "What did you mean when you said you were going to fix everything?"

Hope smiled. "I can fix it. I know how to heal our planet. After the war is over and Megatron is defeated, we'll go there and I will fix it."

"How?"

"I. . . can't really explain it. I'll know what to do once we're there."

* * *

Megatron usually sent his troops to fight, only joining them if it was truly important. But today, he wanted to rattle Optimus Prime with his new knowledge. He'd never admit that the little femme's confidence had rattled him, but he could definitely take some of that out on her father. So today, he joined his soldiers as they searched for an energon source, knowing that eventually, the Autobots would show up.

Optimus was surprised to see Megatron on the field with the decepticon soldiers. He knew that Smokescreen and Bumblebee could handle the vehicons, while he faced his oldest enemy.

"You've been keeping secrets, Prime."

"I keep many secrets from you, Megatron."

"Ah, but this one is special. About 6 years old. Very pretty. Very brave. She will make a fine Decepticon, once I capture her."

"You will be unable to capture her."

"You underestimate me."

"You underestimate her."

Megatron grunted when he saw that his troops had been defeated and all three Autobots were advancing on him. He transformed and took off for his ship, calling for another squadron of vehicons to claim the mine. He stalked onto the bridge, ignoring Knock Out's attempts to scan him for injuries, and turned to his trusted third in command. "Optimus is confident in his daughter's abilities," he stated. "Find out why."

Soundwave nodded, then dispatched Laserbeak with the same command.

Megatron snarled to himself. He had gone into battle intending to rattle the Prime. Instead, he returned to his ship more rattled himself than he was when he left.

* * *

"Come, my daughter. There is much to do on this night."

"I am ready"

"Your greatest desire is to lead the decepticons," Hope said without preamble as soon as she appeared in his vision.

Starscream turned around, startled. "Who are you, how do you know that, and what are you doing here?" he exclaimed.

"I am Hope, it is obvious, and I am here to speak to you."

"Ok…..so….what do you want to speak about?"

"Your greatest desire."

"What about it?"

"You wish to lead the decepticons. Would you lead them to peace if Cybertron were restored?"

"As leader of the planet."

"You are more like Megatron than I realized." she replied, then disappeared.

Starscream woke and couldn't get the young femme out of his head. She looked vaguely familiar, but she was a child. He hadn't seen a Cybertronian that young since before the war began. He wasn't the type to put much weight in visions though, so he forced thoughts of her from his mind and returned to sleep.

* * *

"You are doing well, my daughter"

"I don't like him"

"You do not need to"

"Good, because I don't"

* * *

"You are third in command of this ship, yet you have no desire to take over," Hope said to Soundwave after appearing in his vision.

The mech observed her silently, but did not reply.

"You have followed megatron faithfully from the beginning of this conflict. You have protected him from those who would take his place."

Soundwave was still silent, watching.

"If Megatron and Starscream were….unavailable…..would you lead the Decepticons to peace if Cybertron were restored?"

An almost imperceptible nod was the only answer she received. Hope grinned at him, then disappeared.

* * *

"You continue to do well, my daughter. I know this evening has been difficult"

"He's different."

"Because he does not speak?"

"Not just that. Something else. He might be a decepticon, but he's honorable. He doesn't lie."

"I agree"

"Can I go home now?"

"Yes"

* * *

Hope did not sleep well after Solus left her presence. Every time she closed her optics, she saw Megatron or Starscream, or some other decepticon watching her with angry optics. She waited as long as she could, then she walked the short distance to her parents' room.

Her father woke up as she climbed in between them. He gathered her into his arms and pressed a kiss to the top of her head. "Is something wrong, sweetspark?"

"I can't sleep."

"Another vision?"

"I was  _in_  more visions," she replied. "Solus says we're almost finished. We had to put one more thing in motion tonight, and soon it'll be all over."

"Who did you appear to?" he asked. He knew that she was usually far more distraught when she appeared to Megatron.

"Starscream and Soundwave."

"She wants to know who will replace Megatron," Optimus realized.

"She wants to find someone who will  _not_  replace him," Hope said, "but will instead work with you in peace."

"A good plan. Did she succeed? Did  _you_  succeed?" He did not believe that Starscream would be willing to work for the good of anyone but himself, but Soundwave could be promising.

"I think so"

"And do you know what you must do to end this conflict?" Optimus was almost afraid to ask the question.

"I don't want to kill anyone, Daddy, not even  _him_."

"What does Solus Prime say on the matter?"

" _Many methods are open to you. You must choose the one you believe to be correct."_

Optimus held his daughter close as she finally drifted to sleep. In his mind, he was questioning the wisdom of the ancient primes, not for the first time in his life, but for the first time in his recent memory. As he held his daughter and his sparkmate in his arms, he sent a prayer to anyone who might be listening.  _Please, don't make my daughter suffer the horror of taking a life._

Optimus didn't expect to get an answer to his prayer. Thus far, only Arcee and Hope had had visions of Solus Prime, so he was surprised to find himself standing before Alpha Trion, in a room that looked exactly like his office in the Iacon Hall of Records.

"The choice is hers, Optimus. It always has been."

"She is too young to have to take a life."

"You and your mate have raised her well. She has learned compassion, love, bravery, humility. As you have taught her to use her powers, you have also taught her not to abuse them. You must trust her to make the right choice."

"I do."

"Then all will be well."

* * *

The light of day did not bring peace to his emotions. After talking about the events of the night with his sparkmate and feeling the anger flash from her, they sent Hope to Ratchet and remained in their quarters to talk. He sat and watched as Arcee paced the length of the room and back, repeatedly.

"She's only 6 years old!" Arcee said harshly. "Now she has to somehow defeat Megatron, without taking his life, bring an end to the war,  _and_  restore our planet! How is she supposed to do all of that?  _She's only 6 years old_!"

Optimus could feel her anger seeping through their bond and fueling his own. He was doing his best to keep his own feelings under control, but he was failing. Like Arcee, he wondered how, exactly, his 6 year old daughter could do everything that had been placed on her shoulders.

His anger worsened Arcee's, and Arcee's anger worsened his. This type of negative feedback through a bond only occurred when sparklings were in danger. It was meant to fuel parents protecting their young. They had nowhere to direct their anger though. Optimus realized that they needed to stop it, somehow. He didn't know what would happen if it wasn't stopped, but he knew it would be bad.

Arcee was still pacing, and ranting. In one stride, he was in front of her. He picked her up by the arms and crushed her lips with his. She responded in kind, and they fell into their bed together. The distraction was enough to break the cycle, and the intense, desperate spark merge that followed settled them both back as close to normal as they could be.

* * *

Hope knew that her parents were worried. She didn't understand why - her powers ensured that she was pretty much invincible, and Solus assured her repeatedly that she would always be safe. She still doubted herself, but she didn't doubt her safety, and she was determined to do her best to complete all of her tasks. She was just waiting for a sign.

"My daughter, it is time"

"I'm ready"

* * *

"I have to go, Mommy," Hope said as soon as she found her mother. She needed to let someone know she was leaving the base, and give them some warning of her intentions.

"Go where, sweetspark?"

"I'll be back soon. It'll be over soon."

"Hope!" Arcee exclaimed as her daughter disappeared. "Optimus!" she called in a panic a moment later.

* * *

"What's this?" Megatron asked as Soundwave approached him.

Symbols flashed on his visor.

"An unguarded autobot signal?" Megatron asked

A nod, and more symbols.

"Prime's daughter." A statement, not a question this time.

Soundwave nodded.

"Starscream, retrieve her!" Megatron shouted at his second in command.

"At once, my lord."

* * *

"Where is she?! Where did she go?!" Arcee was yelling as Optimus reached the command center.

"What happened?" he asked, taking her hands to stop her from punching something.

"She said she had to go, then disappeared!" Panic filled Arcee's voice.

Optimus managed to keep the panic out of his voice, barely. "Ratchet, can you locate her?"

"No," Ratchet responded immediately, having already started trying to find her. "She's either blocking her signal somehow, she's behind a non-autobot cloak, or she's on the Nemesis."

"She promised not to transport there alone!"

Optimus grasped Arcee's arms and pressed his forehead to hers, struggling to calm himself and her. "She doesn't want to be found. I understand  _exactly_  how hard it is to trust that everything is going to be ok, but that's all that's left for us to do now."

Arcee collapsed in his arms, and he sank down to the floor with her, holding her tightly and praying to anyone who would listen for the safety of his daughter.

* * *

Hope did not want to break her promise not to transport herself onto the Nemesis unaccompanied, so she had to work around it. She transported to a location near the ship, and blocked her signal from detection by her parents. She did not resist when Starscream and a group of decepticon drones landed around her. She did not resist when they picked her up. She appeared to be sleeping, but nothing that they did awakened her. She scanned as alive, so they did as they were told and brought her back to the Nemesis.

"Different view when you don't have the element of surprise, isn't it, little girl?" Megatron sneered at Hope after she had been deposited on the bridge. She stood in front of him with her head bowed and her hands and feet shackled, but as she slowly raised her face to look at him, he saw that she was grinning. It made him pause for a second, wondering what he had missed.

"Who says I don't have the element of surprise?" She asked.

"Look around, little girl. You're surrounded. You're physically here. And you're bound. What, exactly, are you going to do?"

She laughed, throwing him off even more. "This."

She disappeared.

Only to reappear, sitting on his shoulder, startling him so much he took a step back. Useless, since she was perched on his armor.

She laughed again, disappeared again, and stood back in front of him. This time, she was not bound.

"Kill her!" Megatron shrieked. He no longer cared about turning the girl into a decepticon. He wanted her gone.

She stood stock still as every drone in the room fired at her. Megatron himself hit her with his cannon. Starscream hit her with several missiles. Only Soundwave didn't fire at her, but only Hope noticed. Every shot was absorbed by her forcefield. As weapons fire rained down on her, she began to look bored, picking up the cuffs she had been bound with and idly playing with them.

"Cease fire." Megatron commanded, staring at the little femme. "We are going to take you apart and figure out how your forcefield and teleportation powers work," he said, his tone implying that he still thought he could beat her. "You are unlikely to survive the process, but if you do, we will ensure that you have no memory of your creators and raise you to be a decepticon."

"That would sound awfully scary, if I thought you could catch me," Hope said, still laughing.

Every decepticon in the room grabbed for the girl. She disappeared again, and they heard her laughing from a perch high on top of a monitor.

She brought herself back down the the floor. Back to where she had been standing when they brought her in, the cuffs she had been wearing still in her hands. Everyone in the room stared at her, unsure of what to do next.

"As fun as it's been to play this game with you, it is time now to end the war. Have you decided if you can live in peace?" she asked. She was perfectly calm, as if she wasn't standing on the bridge of her enemy's ship, and hadn't just withstood several minutes of weapons fire aimed directly at her.

Megatron was beginning to formulate an escape plan even as his words implied he still thought he could win. "I will destroy your father, all of the remaining autobots, take the matrix of leadership, and rule both this planet and Cybertron." He ensured his voice still sounded certain, but mentally, he calculated the steps to the door, the nearest airlock, and how many seconds it would take for him to escape.

"I'll take that as a no, then. Very well." The cuffs in her hands began to glow, and suddenly there was a stasis pod sitting in the middle of the bridge. Megatron stared at her in shock. Again. "I don't supposed I can ask you to step inside?" She asked, cocking her head to the side slightly, as if she actually expected him to answer.

He shot the stasis pod, destroying its controls even as he backed slowly towards the door.

She gave a close approximation of a human sigh. "I knew you would make it difficult." She picked up a piece of the broken stasis pod, calmly creating another one even as he backed into the door.

With a thought, she transported him into the pod and turned it on. She watched the horror cross his face as he realized that he had been beaten, even though he was still technically alive. She transported the pod directly into the autobot base, then looked at the decepticons surrounding her as she calmly created another stasis pod. "Anyone else not ready to live in peace?"

Starscream charged her, missiles firing as he ran.

The missiles themselves harmlessly impacted her forcefield as she telekinetically placed him in the pod, turned it on, and transported it to the base.

She looked around again at the faceless drones on the bridge. They turned and ran for the door. They weren't firing on her, so they got to stay awake. She transported every living signature, save one, that she could find on the ship into a cargo hold.

Once that was done, she looked at Soundwave. She wasn't sure if he was looking back or not, but he nodded his head to her slightly. She smiled and transported him into the same cargo bay.

* * *

Hope's transports were silent. Everyone in the base knew it. They also knew that they were lucky she wasn't a prankster, because with her powers, nothing would have been safe.

Hope's parents were in their quarters, comforting each other through their fear. Ratchet was the first one to reach the command center when Smokescreen screamed (like a little girl, as Miko would tease him later) and Bumblebee beeped in a high pitched tone. He walked out of his medbay to see what could have possibly scared the two mechs and stopped short. There, in the middle of the command center, were Megatron and Starscream, in active stasis pods.

"Optimus! Arcee!" he called quickly, and the sounds of running could be heard from down the hall.

They stopped when they saw the stasis pods, and Arcee broke down in Optimus' arms. "She did it. She ended it without killing them!" They both looked around. "Hope? Where are you, sweetspark?"

Knowing how quiet she was, everyone else looked around too, before turning back to the Prime and his mate. "I don't think she's back yet."

"Then we need to go to her," Optimus stated. "Can you locate her now?"

A moment later, Ratchet had the signal, and two moments after that, most of the group was running through the groundbridge.

* * *

The Autobots spread out through the different levels of the ship as soon as they bridged aboard, determined to search every inch of the ship until Hope was found. Optimus and Arcee raced through the corridors of the Nemesis, opening every door and calling desperately for their daughter. They did not find any Decepticons as they searched. But there was also no sign of Hope.

Fear and desperation flowed freely across their bond, neither taking the time to try to calm the other. Neither had any calm to share. They needed to find her. They needed to be sure that she was safe. Then, they could worry about what had actually happened.

"Daddy?" Hope looked around at the deserted bridge of the decepticon warship. She had succeeded. "Mommy?" she said, reaching out through the bond she shared with her parents and feeling their relief that she was alive immediately. "Daddy!" she called, louder, as she made her way to the door. "Mommy!" Where was everyone?

She walked out the door and into the huge hallway of the ship, but she didn't go far. The fear she had been hiding began to break through her barriers and she couldn't concentrate enough to use her powers to get to her parents. She sank down to the floor as the tears overcame her.

Optimus opened a cargo bay door and found Soundwave with many vehicon troopers. He armed his cannons immediately, but neither Soundwave nor the vehicons did the same. After a moment, Soundwave nodded to him, and he left, closing the door behind him and disarming his cannons as he continued to the next door. He'd find out what that was about  _after_  he found his daughter.

Arcee spotted her first. The little girl was sitting on the floor, with her knees curled up to her chest, outside the door to the bridge of the ship. She let Optimus know where they were while simultaneously sitting next to Hope and pulling the girl into her arms.

Hope sobbed against her mother's chest. Moments later, she felt her father pull both of them into his arms. Optimus silently directed the rest of the team to secure the ship as he waited patiently for his daughter to tell them what had happened.

Hope pulled back finally, dried her tears, and looked at her parents. "We're not done," she said. "Is everyone on board?"

"Almost," her father replied. "Ratchet remained in the base with our human partners."

"Tell him to come up here. Humans too. We're going to Cybertron." She paused, then smiled. "I'll bring them up."

"Tell them first," her mother gently reminded.

She smiled and let them know, then Ratchet, Jack, Miko, and Raf appeared beside them.

"How are we going to Cybertron, Hope?" her father asked.

"I….don't think I can transport the whole ship. It's too big, too many people on board. But we can use Megatron's space bridge. Ratchet will be able to find it. Or maybe Soundwave will lead us to it."

"I saw him in a cargo hold with the troopers."

"He will cooperate with you to lead our people to peace."

* * *

Hope stood in the Sea of Rust, her parents on either side of her. Their family, both human and Autobot, remained on the Nemesis, watching from space. She walked to a location known only to her and closed her optics.

An enormous mechanism arose from the ground in front of them. The Omega Lock, Optimus realized, suddenly understanding why his daughter insisted on this trip to Cybertron. As they watched, the lock rose, the keys appeared, and the lock activated. Buildings, long abandoned, were restored, and the ground glowed blue.

Hope reached out and took her parents hands, then transported them all to the Well of Allsparks. The Nemesis changed position in orbit of the planet so that the occupants also had a clear view of the well. It had been empty for ages, ever since the Allspark itself was jettisoned into space to keep it from Megatron's hands. It had not created new sparks for years before that.

Hope closed her optics, and the Allspark appeared in her hands. She looked up at her father, smiled, then threw it into the well.

The humans held their breath. The Autobots would have too, had they had breath to hold.

A shower of new sparks rose from the well, like fireworks in the sky.

Optimus knelt before his daughter and held out his hand. She stepped into it, sitting on his palm as he raised her to be at his optic level. There were so many things he wanted to say to her at this moment, but the only words he could form were "Thank you" as tears glistened in his optics.

* * *

The joy on the nemesis was deafening. The humans stood on a console, out of the way, as the autobots shouted and jumped in happiness, watching the events unfolding on the planet below.

Hope and her parents appeared back onboard, and those on the bridge nearly fought over who would get to hug her first. She didn't want that, however.

"Stop!" she commanded, at the top of her voice. "I only did what I have always been meant to do. There is still a lot of work ahead of all of us, to be able to live back on Cybertron in peace."

"You've made it possible though, Hope," her mother said. "Everyone is grateful for what you've done for all of us."

"I didn't do anything other than what I was supposed to do," Hope said. She looked at the humans, still standing on top of one of the bridge consoles, and backed slowly out the door. It closed just as her tears started to fall, and her parents immediately followed her, leaving those on the bridge to their celebrations. Soundwave steered the ship back into the space bridge, taking them back to Earth. Arcee and Optimus found Hope collapsed in a corridor, unconscious. They had felt her overwhelming despair moments before they lost their connection to her, and they called for Ratchet as Optimus gathered her into his arms.

"She's sleeping…maybe another vision?" Ratchet said after scanning her in the middle of the corridor.

"What could they possibly want now?" Arcee demanded to know.

"She has done far more than any one individual should ever be asked to do," Optimus replied. "I hope they are simply telling her 'thank you.'"

* * *

Hope turned and ran as soon as the doors to the bridge opened. She hoped they hadn't seen her tears, but she thought her parents had probably felt them.

Everyone on the bridge was so happy that they could finally go home. No one seemed to realize that going back to  _their_  home, meant she would have to leave her home. She had been born on Earth, and she didn't want to live anywhere else.

She sat against the wall, hidden from plain sight but not so far she couldn't be found. She closed her eyes to gather her emotions, and found herself standing in front of Solus Prime, again.

"You were successful, my daughter"

"Thank you."

"Why are you sad?"

"Earth is the only home I've ever known. I'm not sure I want to leave."

"Home is where your family is"

"Some of my family is staying on Earth"

"You will be able to visit them. They will be able to visit you"

"I know"

"Change is necessary"

"I know"

"You made many happy today"

"I know that too"

"Is there anything I can do to help you?"

"I'm just sad to leave."

"I understand. Being sad is ok. Being frightened of change is ok as well. In time, I believe you will also be excited to live on Cybertron."

"Do I get to keep my powers?"

"As long as you use them wisely."

* * *

"Cody!"

Cody looked up from his laptop as he heard the familiar voice. "Hello, Hope. I didn't know you would be visiting today."

"I came with my daddy," Hope said. "He has some news for the bots. He's gathering everyone up now. I told him I would get you."

"Good news, I hope," Cody said, smiling

"Um….depends on who you ask"

The rescue bots and their partners gathered in the firehouse, waiting to hear the news. Optimus looked at each of them in turn before beginning to speak.

"As you know, Hope was created to end the war. I am happy to report that she has succeeded. Both Megatron and Starscream are currently locked in stasis, and they will remain there." He paused, due to the shouts of joy from all those gathered, and watched as Blades picked Hope up and hugged her.

As the noise died down, he continued. "However, my daughter is extraordinary. Not only did she end the war, but she also healed Cybertron. Our planet is capable of supporting life again, and we will be returning home."

Optimus looked each rescue bot in the optics before he spoke again. "The war we fought for ages was, at its heart, about the freedom of choice. You may choose to return to Cybertron, to remain here on Earth, or any other path you wish to follow. The decepticon-built space bridge will remain in Earth's orbit, so you do not have to decide now, nor do you have to decide permanently. But now that our options are open, I wanted you to know of them."

As he finished speaking, silence reigned in the firehouse. Heatwave looked at each of his team members, before turning back to Optimus. "We'd like to see Cybertron again," he said, "but our home is here now. You will need rescue bots though, as the population returns, so we will gladly train anyone with an interest."

"I suspected that would be your answer," Optimus replied. "I will inform Agent Fowler and General Bryce of your decision."

"I'll come back and visit!" Hope called, before she and her father disappeared.

* * *

"The groundbridge here and the spacebridge on the moon will be under your control, Raf," Optimus said, going over the last instructions he needed to give out before departing for Cybertron.

"Thank you, sir."

"Although the conflict is over, there are doubtless other decepticons out there who may attempt to cause trouble on Earth," Optimus continued. 'Smokescreen will remain here for now, to assist if needed. Bumblebee and Bulkhead will trade with him occasionally; we will not leave Earth unguarded."

"Thanks, Prime," Agent Fowler replied. "That's good to know"

"Heatwave, Chase, Boulder, Blades and Hightide have chosen to remain in Griffon Rock. Salvage and Blurr will be returning to Cybertron with us."

"Understood," Fowler replied. "I'll check in with them regularly."

"Thank you, Agent Fowler, for all you have done for my family."

"We're going to miss you, Prime. All of you."

"I'm going to miss you, Jack"

"I'll miss you too, Hope," Jack replied. "But we'll see each other again. You don't even need a spacebridge to come visit. Just be sure to ask your parents first!"

"I will," Hope said, laughing despite her tears. "Goodbye, Jack."

"Goodbye, Hope."

* * *

"Where are we, Daddy?"

"This city is Iacon," Optimus said. "That building is the Hall of Records, and those buildings are homes. For now, we'll all stay together in the building we've chosen for our base of operations, but soon we will choose a home for our family."

"Is there any grass? Or trees?"

"No," said Optimus, sadly. "But there are places with soil. It won't support organic life at this time, but we will work to change that. I'd like to create a place where our human family can visit without needing space suits."

"Just show me where you want it, Daddy," Hope said, smiling.

"Hope?"

"Power of creation, remember?" Hope replied. "Plants will die if I just create them," she said, more to herself than her father. "But if I create organic matter to mix into the soil, and then there needs to be water, and a way to contain a nontoxic atmosphere…." she looked up at her father, "On second though, I think I need to talk to Ratchet first. Then you can show me where you want it."

Optimus smiled "I love you, sweetspark"


	19. Epilogue

Arcee awoke alone in her bed. She remembered Optimus coming to bed last night, way too late, and pulling her into his arms. She wondered how much sleep he had actually gotten before he had to go back to work.

Something in her body was off. It almost reminded her of…...but no, that couldn't be. With peace among their species now, she and Optimus had not been preventing the creation of another sparkling, but it had taken so long to create Hope that they didn't believe it would actually happen anytime soon, if ever. They weren't stressing over it - another child would be welcomed and loved, but if Hope was meant to be their only, they were ok with that too.

She couldn't shake the feeling. It couldn't hurt to run the scan, right? She still had the scanner, somewhere. She found it quickly in the desk, and ran the scan. She stared at the results, then ran it again. And again.

She was sitting down, staring unbelievingly at the results of her 5th scan when Hope walked into the room. "What's wrong, mom?" She was not accustomed to anything surprising her mother as much as what she was sensing in the bond they shared.

"Nothing, sweetspark. Come on, we need to find your father."

* * *

They found him easily enough, sitting in his office, surrounded by datapads, all needing his immediate attention. He put down whatever he was working on when his sparkmate and daughter entered the room. He had expected Arcee to be upset with him for working so late and getting up so early. Instead, she was shocked, surprised, and happy. He could not come up with anything that would cause such emotions in her.

She handed him a medical scanner.

He looked at the readout, then dropped it in shock. It shattered.

He looked into her optics. "Really?"

She grinned at him. "Unless that scanner was broken before you dropped it."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed it!


End file.
